She Wears The Crown
by BookSugar
Summary: When Evie discovers her royal birthright and wants to obtain her status, her simple wish isn't as easy as she thought. With a falling kingdom and the other not on her side, will it be possible to save both at the same time without causing her crown to shatter? I do not own Disney's Descendants. Constructive criticism is welcome.
1. Chapter I: Emotionally Involved

Evie sat in her design room, sketches on the floor and unfinished orders hanging on the rack. Her mind was focused elsewhere.

She didn't understand how things added up, how the puzzle pieced together. She was the daughter of Grimhilde. And that was all she knew. The woman who hid behind a mask of makeup. For 21 years, Evie had learned to push the yearning to know more about her parents down. But that afternoon, she had it. She broke down in the middle of the day.

Luckily it was just before lunch, around the time that her beau usually dropped by before is usual shift of work-study at Magical Institute of Training. He walked inside the cottage and put a picnic basket on the table, along with a blue and white checkered blanket. Taking a peek inside her design studio, he saw Evie upset and in clear distress.

Evie heard his footsteps on the wooden floor as he walked up behind her. Turning to face him, she sighed. "Doug, I don't know who I am"

He frowned in confusion, placing his arms around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Biologically or culturally? Or are you having a dissociative event? Maybe an identity crisis?"

She looked up and cracked a smile. "You walking encyclopedia. I meant as in don't know where I came from"

"Evie, I don't think I'm the best bet to have that talk with. We both took health class and I really don't want to refresh our memories of that awkward week" Doug said unwrapping his arms from her and placing them under his chin as he sat in the chair next to her.

Evie rolled her eyes, playfully. "Don't be dopey, Douglas White. I know that my mom is Grimhilde. The former Queen of Summerland. Snow White's stepmother. The woman whose reign from 36 years ago is deemed illegitimate" Evie explained. "And that's it. That's all I know. Who am I really a descendant of? You know your mom, Annabelle and your dad is Dopey. Mal's mom is Maleficent and her dad is Hades. Jay's parents are Jafar and his former mistress. And even Carlos, his parents are Cruella and Clayton. But who is my dad? Why was I born? Who am I?"

Doug sat in silence as he contemplated what she had just explained. Evie took his hand. "I just really want to know, Doug. I really do"

"All I can tell you is that you are Evie Queen, a creative, intelligent and caring young woman. With a big heart and big ideas, and the fairest fashion sense of all. We'll figure something out, Evie" he promised.

"Thank you" She blushed, setting aside her blue pen and sketchbook.

They locked eyes for a minute, both contemplating whether or not to kiss the other.

Though Evie had read countless books on princesses and true love's kiss, she didn't know how to handle the truth that she and Doug were indeed each other's true lover. It wasn't that she didn't love him, but the concept that she had a soulmate. That in their hearts, they loved each other so.

Since their first kiss, neither of them had outwardly said they loved the other, but then again, what words could explain the once in a lifetime occurrence? How could they, as sworn familial enemies, have woven their hearts together and fallen in love? How was it possible that she was his Juliet, just as he was her Romeo?

As they both stood up and Doug led her outside the design studio, through the kitchen and out to her back yard. Evie didn't realize she had been out of it the entire time until the clear day had nearly blinded her. She looked down to their intertwined hands and smiled.

She couldn't help the spark she felt. She wondered if her mother had ever felt that feeling before.

"Evie?" Doug said as she looked up at him. She took the blanket from the basket and laid it out. "Are you alright? Still thinking about your parents and ancestors, huh?"

"You got me. I just can't believe that my mom actually felt the spark I feel with you. That she had enough love in her heart to be with whoever my dad is" Evie blurted as she attempted to retract her words. "Not that the spark is necessarily love... "

"It's okay," he said with a kind smile. Evie's heart melted as she stared into his calm and pale green eyes. "I feel the same way"

"Yo-you really do?"

"I do" Doug sat on the blanket, as she followed suit. They sat there in comfortable silence, each consuming their sandwiches.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything" he said putting his sandwich down and gave her his utmost attention.

"Now that true love is on our side, why haven't you told me you loved me? Why do we still hesitate to do anything but hold hands and hug? "

"Um, well the same reason why you haven't either. And I guess I never have the courage to just up and kiss you. I know I'm weird, but I don't know whether you want me to. And well if you are ready for me to tell you I love you" he explained, his face reddening as he spoke. "But I love you, Evie"

The blue haired beauty was stunned. She didn't expect it to be in that moment that he'd tell her that he loves her. She took the opportunity and spoke her feelings. "I love you too. And you're not weird, awkward or anything. You're my perfect Doug"

Now with goofy smiles on their faces they laughed at themselves and continued to chat, their lunch not crossing in their mind anytime soon. All things were forgotten as they looked to the sky, pointing at all the shapes in the clouds. On their backs, Evie found her hand in his. She glanced over at him and mentally squealed.

She finally got him and for real this time.

Now it would likely be another day or two before they acknowledged their new official status, but for the overthinking pair, it didn't matter.

Their lunch date didn't last long before Dizzy had come running outside to their picnic spot.

"Evie! You mom!" Dizzy said leaning over, attemtping to catch her breath. Her words snapped them both out of their trance.

"Dizz, where is she?" Evie said sitting up.

"In the living room. I told her to hold tight and that you were working in your design studio on a secret project to spare you both some time. Especially Doug" Dizzy waved as he waved back and they both stood up.

Wiping her dress of any crumbs, Doug cleaned up the space and put everything back in the basket. Evie followed Dizzy back towards the studio. But not before she ran back out and nearly knocked him over with a hug.

It didn't last long, before he let go. "You should get going. I'll see you tomorrow"

Evie was reluctant to let go as Dizzy motioned her to hurry. Her reflexes acted before her brain could process anything and she felt her lips on his. In a split second she flashed a blushing smile and ran back inside.

Doug smiled to himself, walking around the side of the cottage and putting the basket in his car. After thinking to himself for a minute, a light bulb blinked in his head as he drove away, back to campus. His mind focused on when he would see that smile again and how to help Evie uncover some of the mysteries of her family.

After all, isn't that what a boyfriend is for?

* * *

**A/N: A little Devie fluff before things start to pick up... stay tuned. **


	2. Chapter II: Mommy (& Daddy?) Dearest

The Evil Queen had her legs crossed on the midnight blue sofa in front of the fireplace. Just before she faced her mother, Evie reapplied her apple red lip shade and let out the ponytail in her hair. She bounced her waves to add a little extra volume. Grimhilde turned around upon hearing the click of heels.

"My Evie, come to Mummy" the woman said as Evie walked to her mother. The two exchanged faire la bise and Evie sat across from her mother. She pulled her skirt closer to her knees, knowing her mother wouldn't approve of how much of her legs she showed.

"Tell me, dear. Who was that man in the handsome suit?"

"Oh. Him? Uh..." Evie glanced up to Dizzy who slowly backed away with a wave.

With a deep breath, Evie cleared her throat. "He's a friend of mine"

"Is he a prince? In line for the throne anytime soon? Hades, your father made such a fool of me with that whole 'in line' situation" Grimhilde grumbled. She clasped her hands together, clearly bothered by the memory.

"My father? Do you care to speak more of him?" Evie asked a little too eagerly.

"No, I do not wish to. That era of my life was quite a mistake. I didn't mean for you even to exist... no offense"

_Oh, no offense taken_, Evie thought to herself, mentally rolling her eyes.

"You and your friend seemed a tad too close, Genevieve. And you have quite a few pictures together" Grimhilde looked around, spotting all of the framed pictures of her daughter.

"Genevieve?!" Evie nearly screamed as her mother huffed. "You named me Genevieve?!"

"Yes. That was more of your father's doing. I went to visit him in The Southern Isles a few hours ago" The woman said, rubbing her forehead as if she wasn't feeling well. "That must be why he is so fresh my mind"

"My dad lives in the Southern Isles? And you actually know who he is?" The blue haired beauty asked attempting to keep the subject away from her and Doug.

"Of course I do, Genevieve. You thought I had forgotten about your father? That was Maleficent who was all about about the concept of forgetting men. I'll always remember that man. The few freckles on his face that you inherited. His silky, smooth, honey colored hair"

"Please stop with the "Genevieve" thing, Mummy. And m—my dad is Hans Westergaard?" Evie questioned. The Evil Queen hid her face in disgust. She looked back up at her daughter before she spoke.

"Yes. I swear even speaking of the name gives me heartburn. Oh, I was so young, my dear. So young. Too young to be a biological mother. He had caught my eye and I couldn't lose sight of him" Grimhilde sighed.

"Where did I inherit the blue hair from, then?" Evie asked. She pulled her loose waves over her shoulders. Still in disbelief over the news, she didn't know how to feel.

"My dear, that I do not know. You'll have to find that out yourself. All I know is that you were born with it. That blue monstrosity on your head was always questionable. Perhaps because of the medication I took. Who knows," the woman said with a chuckle.

Evie tried not to let the coarse words stick to her heart, but she felt a pang of hurt. She had grown to love her blue hair, but finding out that it was most likely a genetic mutation, demeaned her confidence. Especially knowing that the information about her procreators didn't give her any more confidence than she had before.

With a quiet sigh, she tried to let the news sink it, but a lump seemed to be growing in her throat. "Oh. So—so were you and my father ever married? Or was I born out of wedlock?"

"No, we never married. But your birth was registered in the state of Auradon. Your father made that a priority. Well he did before he up and left. He was gone in a flash. No word, nothing. But that's okay. Because you're your Mummy's daughter anyway. Come here," the woman commanded as Evie did just that. She gave her mother a forced hug before the former Queen shooed her away.

Her mother glanced at a picture on the mantle that was of Evie and Doug, His arms were around her waist as she was in full giggles, her smile lines in full effect. The Queen smiled at it, something of a rare sight.

"I want to meet this man of yours sometime, Evie. And don't tell me you are just something of accomplices. Believe me. Maleficent said that about Hades once upon a time" Grimhilde commented in a mocking tone as there was a glint of sadness in her eyes. Quickly regaining her composure, the Evil Queen looked to her daughter, seeing her own self as she looked into Evie's amber eyes.

_Love is what my Evie needs. The love that I thought I had. _

"That'll be all. Just visiting my daughter and her father today. I shall be on my way"

"Very nice to sit with you, Mummy. I will see you later" Evie said with a small wave.

Grimhilde hesitated to send her daughter a hug, but instead nodded her head and let herself out. The woman approached the car sitting out on the curb of the driveway. Evie peeked out the curtain to see a man with hair the color of honey, smoothed back and freckles lining his nose.

As he started the car and drove away, Evie's head throbbed. After all this time, she hadn't known the man of whom she was born. Just to find out that it was Hans of the Southern Isles. And he had been right outside her window.

Both her parents considered themselves royalty, but neither really had status. At least her father had been 13th in line to the throne, but what did that matter?

_She wasn't a real princess. Just a girl who felt entitled to likely a nonexistent royal birthright._

* * *

**A/N:The idea of Hans as Evie's dad goes to disneyfan1968 from their story "Parents." **


	3. Chapter III: Certified Consensus

"Evie!" Doug called running up behind her as she sat in the dining space. He carried a manila file in his hands, a few papers spilling out to Evie's view. It had been three days since she had spoken to her mother. Yet, she still hadn't told her beau about their conversation.

She turned around completely and smiled. He greeted her with a quick hug. "So I did some research and found a few documents"

He set the folder down and pulled up a chair. Evie flipped through the file to find a piece of discolored paper with an Auradon seal stamped on the front.

"This is your birth certificate. I know it doesn't say Evie, but apparently your full name is—" Doug began before Evie interjected.

"Genevieve. I know. Mummy told me" Evie said her voice wavering. "She told me a lot of things. And one of them being that my father is indeed,"

"Hans of the Southern Isles," they said in unison.

Neither of them said anything for awhile before she began to tell him what her mother had shared. And even the sighting of him in the car.

"Mummy also said she would like to meet you, sometime" Evie whispered as Doug turned red.

"Really?"

"Really."

They sat in silence once again, as Doug looked at the sheet of paper.

_Father: Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles_

_Mother: Grimhilde Queen _

_Name: Genevieve Hana Rose Westergaard of the Southern Isles _

_Date of Birth: April 10, 1999_

_Christened: N/A _

_Place of Birth: N/A _

_Weight: Equivalent to approximately 15 Rotten Apples_

_Length: N/A _

_Notes: Hair color is unusual. May be due to too much exposure to __medication consumed by mother._

_Delivered By: Mother Gothel and Doctor Facilier _

Evie felt her eyes brimming with tears. Doug looked up, upon hearing soft sniffles.

"What's wrong?" Doug asked, taking her hand in his own and caressing her palm.

"Nothing, really. I just thought there'd be more to my story. I didn't even know my name wasn't actually Evie. I didn't know I had middle names, that I had my father's last name. That I have blue hair for an unknown reason"

"Well, don't the others have their hair colors, unusually too?"

Evie shook her head. "Carlos' hair was permanently bleached when he accidentally set off a trap by Cruella's furs. Mal just dyes hers purple. But this," she pointed to the braid in her hair. "Is all natural"

"Maybe it's a genetic mutation" Doug suggested as she shrugged.

"Must be. Got anything else?"

"Yeah, I have three photographs. One of you as a baby, one of your dad and one of your mom. And the last things are photocopies of your parent's files from their registration as guardians on Isle"

Evie looked at the pictures and the files with their fingerprints copied on the papers. She ran her hand over the color image of her infant self. She had wispy blue hair that was smoothed on her head. She was swaddled in a plain white blanket that looked to be very worn, but had a lace trimming around it.

Her eyes wandered to her parents separate images. They had more youth to them than she'd ever seen. Her mother had dark waves that framed her face beautifully. Her piercing green eyes had a glint of happiness and her lips were pursed to give her face more dimension. In her father's photograph she immediately saw the smug smile on his face, followed by his amber eyes. He had a chiseled face and freckles that dusted his nose.

She realized she looked like a perfect combination of her parents.

"Genevieve Hana Rose Westergaard" Doug read off of the sheet. "Well, you should have a title. His status was never removed. Even though you're probably way off in the lineage of royalty in The Southern Isles, you still have a title. You could end up inheriting your dad's title, whatever it is"

"Really? He is the Prince of the Southern Isles. So does that make me then the Princess of the Southern Isles?"

"That's how titles work. Former King Beast never said that the royalty on the Isle would lose their status. Only if you lost your status in Auradon like your mom did" Doug noted, adjusting his glasses.

Now Evie's hope rose. _I can't believe it_, she thought. _I'm technically a princess. Or well, my father is a Prince. _

"Could I get my status back then? Could I really be Genevieve Hana Rose Westergaard, Princess of the Southern Isles? Well I'd probably choose Evie," she chuckled as Doug smiled.

"If we can find a way to legally prove it. And manage to send it to the council—actually we could send it to Snow White. She's a member of the council"

"My step-sister? She doesn't even know me"

"Oh, but she does" Doug said as Evie gave him a look. "I may or may not have told her a few things about you. Well, she asked me who my date was at Cotillion and I had to tell her. She doesn't know about us being "true love" ordained. But she also wants to meet you..."

Doug trailed off as he looked at Evie who seemed to be processing what he had just told her. As she looked up, her face spoke that she was quite frankly bewildered.

_Snow White actually wants to meet me? The woman who didn't even realize who I was at Ben's coronation... _

"Has she had work done?" Evie suddenly blurted as Doug's head cocked in confusion.

"Um, to my knowledge, no. That would actually be Princess Aurora. Audrey said her mom got Botox to clear her face of her wrinkles" Doug chuckled as Evie giggled.

"I'll meet her" she said agreeing to his offer, her lips curling upwards into a hopeful and rosy smile. And for Doug, her smile was the magic that made his heart skip a beat every time.


	4. Chapter IV: Not So Little Wonders

Snow White wasn't expecting to get a call from her Godson that afternoon. Typically he'd stop by if he wanted to have a long chat or he'd text her about whatever he had on his mind.

So as she was getting ready for tea, her phone buzzed. Upon reading the caller's ID, a smile curved on her face. She picked up the phone and put her mascara down.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Aunt Snow" he said as she chuckled. Though they had no relation, he had been calling her his aunt for as long as she could remember.

"How nice of you to call, what's happening?" She asked, attempting to multitask. She applied her blood red lip shade and pursed her lips together.

"Evie, my girlfriend. Your step-sister" he began and the woman hummed in familiarity. "So we've been doing a bit of uncovering her ancestry, beginning with her parents. Through our findings, we found that Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles is her father"

"Oh?! Grimhilde had—had Evie with Hans?" She heard a reassuring hum as she wanted to laugh a little. I always knew she was after a man's title. "So that makes my sister a Princess then?"

"Yes. And that's what I wanted to ask you. Would you be willing to help grant Evie's title back to her? Hans was never revoked of his title or really his status. He even registered her as Geneva Hana Rose Westergaard of the Southern Isles back in 1999 through her certificate of birth that the Royal Guards came to collect at the end of the year"

"I don't know how much I can leverage my thoughts about her title onto the rest of the council. It would take a few weeks. But..." She began as Doug held his breath. "I'm all for it. It's of her birthright. Just have her attend the next meeting this coming month" Snow said, her voice perky. She was happy to help out her sister and her "nephew."

"Thank you so much," Doug replied.

"Before you go, care to tell me about you and Evie being official? I heard from a few birdies that the two of you got a little serious" Snow said inquisitively as she smirked. She'd always been a young soul and she often did a bit of gossiping with her old friend Cindy.

She heard Doug stumble over his words. "Oh. We...yeah...she and I are each other's true love. But it's really nothing serious" He was blushing hard and wanted to get out of the "invasive" conversation hole.

"If you say so, kid. It must just run in our fairytale, huh?" Snow chuckled. "Just teasing you"

The two exchanged their goodbyes and Doug hung up. He sighed in relief, running his hand through his hair. Finally he was done with that embarrassing conversation. He would be counting the minutes until he got a call from his parents, inquiring more about the whole "true love" thing.

He laughed to himself. _Well, Evie's going to be pretty happy. You're a pretty great boyfriend_, he complimented himself.

Or so he thought.

* * *

"You what?!" Evie asked in complete shock. She began to pace around her design studio. It was seven o'clock at night when Evie came home from dinner with Mal. Doug had stuck around her castle to kidsit Celia and Dizzy. The Smee twins were staying with Peter and Wendy Pan as they went to Grammar School.

"Snow White wants you to go with her to the council meeting on Thursday" Doug said placing his hands on her forearms, keeping her from her pacing circle.

"Bu-but Doug! I can't just barge in there and expect them to be on my side. I can't expect them to even want me in the room!" Evie argued. "I'm not going"

Doug let go, and she continued her pacing circle. She threw her hands up in exasperation and plopped on one of the bar stools in the kitchen.

"What am I going to tell Snow? She'll be on your side. I'll be waiting outside of the conference room for moral support" Doug said in an attempt to change her mind.

She looked down, avoiding eye contact. _She really wasn't sure if she wanted to take her chances. People were only just now getting used to Mal as almost Queen Consort. How would they react to the coronation of the daughter of a corrupt Queen and an egotistical Prince? _

"You really think they'd agree with Snow? And allow me to reclaim the title I should have inherited?" Evie asked. She finally looked up to meet his warm eyes.

"I can't promise anything, but you'll never know if you don't go. All they can say is no" Doug replied. She turned away from Doug for a minute. She spun around and faced him with a growing smile on her face.

With a nod of her head she chuckled. "I'll go"

"That's my Evie!" He exclaimed, clearly excited for his girlfriend. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him in a sweet embrace.

The sudden voices of Dizzy and Celia startled them.

"Whoa! We'll go. We just didn't understand our algebraic equations" Dizzy rambled as the two girls walked backwards, attempting to make themselves disappear.

Evie and Doug both chuckled at the two girls. "I was just going" He said gesturing for them to come back. "I'm sure Evie would love to help—"

"Actually we were wondering if you could help us" Celia butted in. She and Dizzy plastered giant smiles on their faces and held up their packets. Doug turned to Evie who shrugged with a smile.

"Well, I'll just get to some orders, then " Evie said turning around. Doug extended his hand, gesturing to her. He motioned to follow him and the girls. She reluctantly agreed and sent a playful glare his way. They walked up the steps from her design studio to the waiting girls.

'You _so_ owe me,' she whispered sticking her tongue out. He stuck out his tongue at her in return. They arrived at their destination in the kitchen, the two girls already attempting to solve their equations. As the young adults sat on either side of the girls, they each helped them isolate variables.

Evie glanced over to Doug helping Celia who immediately clicked with his explanations. Her mind wandered as she watched her boyfriend tutor the young voodooist. She hadn't realized she had been staring at him for as long as she was until Dizzy nudged her.

"Earth to Evie, earth to Evie" Dizzy said prompting Doug to look over and Celia to put her pencil down.

"Done" she said giving Doug a high five. She stood up and excused herself for a glass of water.

Evie met his gaze and blushed. Doug glanced away, his cheeks pink. Dizzy cleared her throat. "I'll take me and Celia's packets to compare answers. You two clearly have some unfinished business from my interrupting your hug. Evie was staring at you the whole time. As if you had 'the most handsome eyes and cutest smile'"

The young girl with space buns playfully mocked the blue haired beauty, causing Evie a bout of rosy cheeks and her eye contact to be averted. "It's way past your bedtime, Dizz" Evie chuckled.

After Celia thanked Doug, she and Dizzy made their way upstairs. That left Evie and Doug to clean up the kitchen. Upon looking at his watch, Doug snapped his fingers. "Shoot!"

Evie looked up, surprised by his sudden hurry.

"I'm sorry, I have to get back to campus. I promised Jackson I'd be his "plus one" at a frat party" Doug said as Evie gasped in surprise.

"Frat Party, huh?" Evie teased, knowing that her boyfriend was just being his usual generous self. "My Dougie is going to frat parties, now?"

"It's really nothing. He didn't want to go alone" Doug said with a chuckle, picking up his backpack. They shared a laugh. Before he left, Evie attached herself to him and they hugged each other goodbye.


	5. Chapter V: Call of the Council

With the passing of a month, Thursday arrived much sooner than Evie had anticipated.

She smiled to herself as she fixed her hair in the mirror. She made sure that morning to not over do her look for the day. She wanted her first impression of the council to be good... but not too good. Adjusting her navy blouse and smoothing her navy skirt she took in a deep breath and walked out to where Snow White stood. The short woman with her trademark blood red lips, fair skin and black bob looked up from the pamphlet in her hand.

"Are we ready to enter?" Snow asked gesturing to the closed door. Evie nervously nodded and together they walked inside.

She looked around the room. She spotted a familiar blue suit, the article being the exact one she made. Her eyes met King Ben's as he stood front and center at the podium. She gave him a small wave before following Snow to three chairs. Ben smiled and walked towards her.

Taking her seat, Ben shook hands with Snow. "Nice to see you again. And hello, Evie. Mal should be here soon. Her etiquette course, that I assume you know about, has gone a little over time"

Evie thanked him for his notice and he went off to greet other members. She turned to Snow to ask her who the other two seats were for. But just as she did so, Prince Florian and Dopey sat on the other side of her.

"Hello, Evie" Florian said, flashing a charming smile. Well, naturally. He was once the most charming in all of the land.

"Hello" Evie said with a bow of her head in respect for his highness. Snow White took his hand and Evie tried not to awe in delight of the display of affection.

Snow and Florian had never tied the knot despite their twenty six years of being engaged. Snow wanted to advance in the broadcasting world and Florian respected that. So after all these years, they still hadn't made any plans. Evie shuddered at the thought. Being engaged forever wasn't her cup of tea.

Catching her eye, Dopey smiled at the young girl. Evie smiled shyly, back. The two had never formally met even though she was dating his son. As strange as it was, it never crossed her or Doug's minds.

Well they hadn't even been sure if the other reciprocated feelings!

With a sudden clearing of his throat, King Ben stood on the podium just as Mal walked in. She took a seat around the large table next to Ben. She quickly flashed a smile at Evie who gave a small wave.

"Today we have a non-member of the council here. Miss Evie Queen will be sitting in with us as we discuss a matter Auradon has yet to deal with" Ben said as he motioned for everyone to stand.

Snow lightly nudged the blue haired girl to stand and she did just that. Fairy Godmother tapped lightly on a bell and a scribe fell down from the ceiling. Evie's face twisted. Mal looked around the room and nodded her head.

_What did I just get myself into_, Evie thought as the lights dimmed and the candles lit up the room.

"We the people of Auradon shall take pride in Auradon. We are apart of a community larger than ourselves. Anything is magically possible. Good doesn't get better. We are for good and that's the gospel truth. We have the right to oppose anything that does not speak for Auradon. We will be just in everything discussed. Our tales may be as old as time, but may we lead with our hearts and a strong mind. Peace and goodness be unto Auradon"

The council recited in unison. Evie was shocked with wide eyes as she watched everyone. Even Mal recited what Evie assumed to be the rules and statements the members must have agreed to. The lights turned back on and the council pretended as if nothing had happened.

"Dear, what you just witnessed was the statement reading that is presented at every council meeting. That was not an initiation recitement" Snow whispered to the girl as she nodded, a wave of relief crossing her face.

Evie listened closely to Ben discuss the budget, any additional information and how things were looking for each of the regions to his knowledge. A few of the members gave additional information regarding their region, but the meeting was moving along smoothly.

"Now that we've covered any additional current events, I would like to guide us towards Miss Queen's request. Under the circumstances of discovering her ancestry, she has found that her parents are indeed Grimhilde Queen and Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles" Ben said.

A few of the member's turned pale and audible gulps were made. She shifted in her seat, her face heating up. Notably, Queen Leah glanced at the girl and scoffed.

Ben's statement caused chatter amongst the council and Snow White looked her way. She patted Evie's hands that were clasped on her lap.

Evie tried to interpret the way the council was taking this new found information. And it was clear that she wasn't going to get notice of her status being returned to her that afternoon.

Mal whispered to Ben and he stepped down from the podium. She took his place and rang a bell. "Order, please!" The council quickly quieted and she commanded Evie to stand.

As she rose, Evie found herself nervous from the attention.

"This is my best friend, Genevieve Westergaard aka. Evie" Mal began. Evie shuddered at the name she still hadn't become familiar with in few months time. "She's a fashion designer and owns her own boutique. She graduated from Auradon Prep with high honors. Evie helped King Ben," Mal gestured as Ben nodded. "Decide who the next villain kids should be. She volunteers for so many charities and orphanages, she loves working with children. Ever since she was a little girl, she's always wanted to come to Auradon. One of her biggest fears is being trapped on the Isle again. Evie wants the opportunity to regain her status. It belongs to her, considering her father's status. Evie is the epitome of a princess"

"Excuse my asking, but if she is a descendant of Hans Westergaard, she indeed presents a threat to the Southern Isles. Therefore, what is she trying to gain? Personal access to the throne to take over Auradon?" The Duke of Weselton questioned. A few of the other members agreed with his statement. Mal looked down to Ben who stood up with her.

"Duke of Weselton, please hear us out. Evie does not have mal intentions. She has been denied her origin for so long. Lady Mal and I are willing to grant her status, if the council may approve of it" Ben said. Evie still stood as all eyes were on her. A few members were whispering amongst themselves and she felt sick to her stomach.

_They really think I'm a villain. That I'm trying to destroy the Southern Isles. I don't even know who those people are. I just want to have my title. The one that was denied and demeaned by Audrey after I landed on my feet on Auradon soil. _

Clearing her throat she waved her hand, greeting the council members. "As you know, I am Evie. I have lived in Auradon for the past five years. As I am now 21, I cannot think of a time when I ever wanted to hurt anyone. And going forward, I would never. The reason why I want my title lies in this: I've been denied most everything in my life. I've had to make many things out of nothing. My clothes, my education. Even my boutique. It is my right to have my title acknowledged. The day I stepped foot in Auradon I had to make a name for myself. I was told that I have no status here. Though I am still seen as a villain, my record is clean. My mother and father have done wrong, but creating me was something of a happy accident. Gaining my title would go to illustrate that the offspring of two "royal" villains can be good. That VKs are not inferior to anyone"

A few of the members shuffled in their seats, uncomfortable by her statement. Mal thanked her for her comments and Ben stood up to take over.

"Thank you, Miss Queen. Please process your thoughts about the situation. In an hour we will rejoin to vote on the issue. Please take this opportunity to speak with Miss Queen to understand her perspective" With a nod to his council, he dismissed the meeting and it wasn't long before chatter began again.

People filed out of the room, sneaking glances at Evie.

"She seems very pleasant, but we still have nothing to go off of. She could just be waiting for this moment to take over Auradon" Prince Philip said as he walked past her with his wife. Evie smiled softly at Aurora. The woman in a pale pink sundress forced a thin smile back.

"Evie?" Prince Florian said. She looked over, worried about his next words.

"I'd like you to know that I respect your perspective, but for the sake of the Southern Isles—" Snow White whipped her head around in a heartbeat.

"Florian, you agree with these judgemental council members? Evie is not a criminal. Why can't she have a royal status here? You're just like all of them, afraid of a 21 year old woman who just wants what belongs to her?!" Snow raised her voice. She took Florian by the arm and they walked outside the room. Evie awkwardly looked away, her eyes finding her purple haired friend.

As Mal mingled with King Beast and Belle, she waved Evie over. With a sigh of relief, Evie practically ran to the Lady of the Court.

"Evie. I'm sorry about the other members. They can be very, very insensitive" Belle said sympathetically. She nodded in agreement and started looking around the room for someone specific. Mal nudged her a smirk on her face.

"Looking for Doug?"

With a sheepish smile, Evie nodded her head. "Separation is good, E. And he just was speaking with his dad. Is his mom super tall or something? 'Cause how is he as tall as Jay?"

Evie laughed at Mal's inquiry as she recalled that her boyfriend had told her he got that question a lot. "Yes, Annabelle is fairly tall. But genes—specifically height genes can skip generations"

Mal chuckled with understanding and gave Evie a hug. The blue-haired woman thanked her friend for supporting her. As Mal and Ben dismissed themselves from the room, Evie went to go find Doug.

She peeked out of door to see her boyfriend, Snow White, Florian and Dopey in a circle discussing something. As she shyly walked up, she stood closer to Doug than anyone else, latching onto his hand.

"How are you feeling?" Doug asked in a whisper.

Immediately feeling at ease from his soft tone, she shrugged. "I'm okay" The others looked over and she tried to smile. Instead it just fell.

"Evie, I'm sorry about earlier" Florian interjected. "Snow helped me to understand. Not just because you're almost apart of the family,"

Evie and Doug both blushed.

"—but because you're just a young lady who was born on the Isle. No one said you necessarily wanted anything to do with the Southern Isles. Instead, you just wanted what belongs to you, back" Florian patted her other hand that was not gripping onto Doug's arm.

Dopey cleared his throat surprising Evie. "You have my vote. I think many royals tend to forget their humble beginnings. They believe in the single story of the Isle of The Lost. And that is a false truth"

Evie thanked him with a smile. She then figured that Doug had gotten his open mind and wise approach from his dad. Along with his adorable pale blue-green eyes, of course.

"Were the two of you going to lunch?" Florian asked as Doug looked at Evie who looked back at him and shook her head.

"Just for a walk"

"Well, we'll see you in an hour then" Snow said as Florian chatted with Dopey, following the short woman out of the door. Turning to Doug she threw her arms around him in a hug. "Hades, tell me enough people think the way they do"

He reciprocated the display of affection, rubbing her back to calm her nerves. "I really hope they do too, Princess. I really do"


	6. Chapter VI: One Day

An hour later as Ben ordered, the members filed into the room again. "I would like each of you, as representatives from your region to please take a vote. As there are three representatives from each region, I expect the votes to be synonymous with your regional view of the issue"

Mal then stood, taking initiative of the voting process. "We will do this in a traditional manner. Please take one slip of paper and mark either 'yay' or 'nay' in favor of Miss Queen receiving the title that is of her birthright—"

"I object!" The Duke of Weselton interrupted. King Beast stood up, just to be sat back down by his wife.

"Well I object the Duke of Weaseltown's objection!" King Beast said, clearly upset. The Duke scoffed, mumbling the correct pronunciation of his county.

Mal sighed, gesturing toward the Duke. "What is your objection, Sire?"

"You are trying to persuade the issue. We have made our decisions. The Southern Isles will not deteriorate because of some illegitimate child of Hans Westergaard" The council gasped and shook their heads.

"Illegitimate?!"

Chatter began once again around the room.

"Order!" Ben nearly roared. "Decisions have been made by every reigning chair member of the council. I would like our utmost respect for Miss Queen." The room was silent and the only sounds were that of pens marking slips of paper.

Evie's hands were shaking as that word kept ringing through her mind.

_Illegitimate_.

_Why did it matter so much that the Southern Isles didn't want her to be apart of their region? And how would she have that connection to throne in the first place? _

_Unless... _

_Unless through her title regainment, she would be in line to the throne. And typically if you were within more than five heirs to the throne, it didn't matter to the people. So she had to be at least fifth in line. And that's why Weselton had a problem about it! _

Evie was broken out of her trance upon hearing the three rings of the bell. She glanced to meet Mal's eyes. She tried to read her expression, but had no luck. The purple-hairy fairy had a stern, but blank face.

As Fairy Godmother cleared her throat, her eyes saddened as if she was disappointed.

"Out of nineteen votes, eight are in favor of Miss Queen's title being granted. And eleven... are not in favor" She said.

As the words sunk in, Evie couldn't believe it. She felt a lump growing in her throat, words no longer able to escape. Holding back her tears, she was able to sit through the rest of the meeting, silently. Snow whispered to her wondering if she was okay and whether she wanted to leave.

With no response, Snow stopped her attempts.

As soon as Ben adjourned the meeting, he tried to stop Evie so he could speak with her, but she ran out of the room as fast as she could. Behind her, Evie could hear the scoffs of disapproval from the council members.

But at that point it no longer mattered.

They didn't trust her and neither did Auradon. Her head was spinning with thoughts as she ran into Doug who was having a conversation with a castle tour guide.

"Hey," he said, turning to her happily. He noticed her face crumble and said a quick goodbye to the guide. The tears she had held back ran down her face. Doug wiped the streams of tears from her cheeks and wanted to make everything go away. He hated to see Evie like this, as it was a rarity of her to let down her guard.

As they sat on a bench, Evie stumbled on her words, trying to tell him what happened. "They—they voted. And said I'm illegitimate. That I want to take over the Southern Isles. Denied my status"

"Oh, Evie. I'm so sorry, Princess" he said placing his arm around her shoulders. Just then, Snow White, Prince Florian and Dopey ran ((well briskly walked, let's put it that way)) up to the two.

"Are you alright? Mal and Ben were worried about you. All of us understand how you're feeling. People should have understood that you don't have plans to harm the Southern Isles" Snow said, rushing to her side.

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Thank you. I just can't believe it. I've never had an evil bone in my body. I just want to prove to Auradon that VKs aren't inferior"

"Oh, that'll take quite some time, Evie. But I respect your thoughts" Florian said. Evie thought she saw Snow frown at his words, but as she glanced at the woman again, there was no sign of any negative feelings about it. As they walked out of the castle, Snow left with Florian, promising Evie she'd check up on her the next morning.

Doug helped to calm Evie down and kissed either of her rosy cheeks, allowing her to break a smile at the sweet display of affection. She took a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes in an attempt to stop her tears.

And so with the others gone, Doug, Evie and Dopey sat together awkwardly. Doug smiled and gestured to Evie. "I know this is most likely the strangest introduction, but Dad, this is Evie. And Evie, this is my dad"

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. White" Evie said trying to hide her eyes. She silently cursed herself for the lack of neatness to her mascara.

"Hello, Evie" he said shaking her hand. "I'm sorry we had to properly meet at this occasion, but I hope to see you in a better location soon"

"Likewise" Evie responded with a chuckle.

Dopey excused himself, saying his goodbyes to his son and Evie. The couple sat on the bench for awhile longer, Evie curling up onto his shoulder. She felt safe and comfortable with him next to her. With more than half of the nation not on her side, Evie no longer felt as good as she once did about Auradon.

One day she'd change their minds.

_One day._


	7. Chapter VI pt 2

It had been a quiet evening for Evie. Doug had gone home, despite the fact that she wished he had stayed. He insisted that she needed time to process the vote and relax. She smiled at the thought of his concern for her. But it wasn't long before she began to toss and turn in her bed, thinking of the council meeting earlier that day.

_The kingdom won't support me. Ben could have tried to persuade them. He could have used his authority to edge the vote, _she thought.

Mal had texted her earlier that night and apologized for the council's vote. But she also said that Ben had been conflicted. Though he believed she should have her royal status granted to her, he conducted a vote to ensure he made the right decision. He thought that giving her status back should be a decision approved by the council because they speak for all of Auradon, specifically the Southern Isles.

And because of that, she still couldn't believe that Ben had doubted his trust in her. He brought her from the Isle. He watched her develop into who she is today.

But he still questioned whether she deserved to be a Princess. It was like everyone knew something that she didn't. _Why was he willing to make Mal his Queen, but she wouldn't even be allowed to use the title her father had registered her to have? The title she had the right to, since she came into the world. _

Before she was able to forget everything that had happened and slip into her dreams, she remembered the Duke of Weselton's concern for her becoming a Princess.

_If the Duke would do anything to not allow her to be considered royalty in his village, and Ben didn't mind the idea, but wanted the council's vote... then she must be more than just fifth in line to the throne. _

_Could it be true that she was indeed next in line to the throne of the Southern Isles?_


	8. Chapter VII: Problematic Pop-Ups

After classes the next morning, Doug sped over to Evie's cottage. Carlos had already hacked into the national census database and they needed his knowledge of Auradon to aid them.

"Okay, so who knew the census was only locked by a set of two passwords. You'd think a nation would further secure their database" Carlos scoffed as Evie lightly punched his arm.

"Oh, shush. Show-off" Evie teased. Carlos pretended to be hurt from the weak blow to his forearm. They heard the back door open and in came Doug. Walking into the kitchen, he set down his bag, grabbed a stool and sat next to Carlos.

"So, you got into the server?" Doug asked. Carlos nodded and slid the laptop his way. The two guys looked over the computer scrolling through the pages.

"Every file in Auradon history of births, deaths and marriages. All the secrets to the Southern Isles, everything" Carlos said impressed with his own work. He folded his arms across his chest, letting Doug take over.

"That awesome, Carlos. You know you should really go into security tech. Or maybe computer science"

"Cool. Do they offer that at MIT?"

Doug was just about to respond when Evie interrupted. "I hate to kill the college conversation, but it says there are ten minutes before it's going to alert the Auradon Online Security Force of a data breach" she pointed to the screen and the guys nodded.

Carlos tried to override the system, but it wouldn't budge. "Great. So maybe I'm not as good as I thought. We've got eight minutes to find out if you're first in line to the throne, print it and remove all the evidence on this device"

"Okay, so, I've seen Ben use the database before. I believe you can type in any name into the bar across the top. Evie's birth was registered in the census of 2000, since they only collect it every ten years on the Isle. Since the copies I made won't show her status, we have to print them off here"

Carlos typed in "Evie Queen" into the search bar and was surprised when Doug shook his head. "She was registered as Genevieve Westergaard"

"What kind of a name is that?" Carlos laughed as Evie playfully glared at him. "Dad picked it, huh?"

"Unfortunately" Evie responded. She still had yet to speak to her father. And she needed to. If she really was an heir to the throne, she needed the 411 from Hans Westergaard. Well, and she kind of also just had a lot of unanswered questions.

Their search resulted in Evie's file. They found the registered document from 1999 that was added to the database in the 2000 census. Quickly typing in another search, they found information on the Southern Isles.

"So you're apart of the Westergaard family, right?" Carlos asked. Evie shrugged.

"I mean I guess so,"

"Well it says that they're the reigning family" Carlos began as he scrolled down. "And get this, they actually just updated the file at midnight. I wonder—" he stopped and his mouth was left wide open as Doug slid the computer his way to see what Carlos was in sudden disbelief over.

Doug began reading the article aloud, his words getting quieter by the moment. "The King, the Queen Consort and his son were declared lost at... sea last night. After weeks of searching, the coast guard has found no trace of the Royal Family. Auradon's condolences to the presumed deaths of the Westergaard family... of the Southern Isles" Evie felt her head throbbing.

"What?! How?" Evie said sliding the computer to her view. She read the message, time after time, a lump growing in her throat. Her thoughts landed on the fact that this news must have explained the Duke's opposition of her status.

The three were brought to utter silence as none of them could believe that the Royal Family of the Southern Isles had been lost at sea. That these were the assumed relatives of Evie, through Prince Hans.

Carlos pointed to the screen, reading that the nation would soon lose their independence, if they could no longer govern themselves and they would join Arendelle. The Southern Isles had dissociated themselves from Arendelle long ago when Elsa and Anna's parents hadn't even took the throne. They only separated because the original King Westergaard wanted his own kingdom. Therefore they needed to find another heir. And that heir had to be within the Westergaard lineage. So one of the thirteen sons of King James Westergaard, meaning one of Evie's uncles.

As they printed out the article and Evie's federal birth certificate, her amber eyes were drawn to the faded cursive under her name.

_Heiress through Westergaard reign. _

As Carlos glanced over to her, he saw where her eyes were looking. He nudged Doug who looked over Evie's shoulder at the cursive. The two guys looked at each other and nodded. Carlos was first to speak.

"Hey, at least you're an heiress," he said with a smile. In return, Evie shrugged, her thoughts still focused on those words and the Duke of Weselton.

"They knew. The council knew more than I did about my own life. The Duke of Weselton was very persistent on the fact that he didn't want me to have the title, because I was the offspring of a villian. And even Ben seemed to want to keep the title away from me. I am in line to reign over The Southern Isles. Well—more like my dad is. But I highly doubt they want him since he has a criminal background. So it would probably go to me" Evie explained.

Doug was bewildered. He stared at the paper she held and sighed. "Well the only way we can prove that is through directly asking Hans. We can't go through the council or Ben, since they'll know we hacked the database. And if that's true..."

"The council can't refuse your title" Carlos, Evie and Doug said in unison. They turned to each other, laughing at their shared conclusion. Carlos glanced at the computer, the screen blinking a red pop-up.

"Hades, I almost forgot" Carlos exclaimed, closing the site. Suddenly the screen returned to the blank screen full of green codes and HTML script. He closed the computer and slipped it into his bag on the floor. "I'd better get going. Jane wants my help in setting up the Snowflake Ball"

Evie makes a wave of nostalgia hitting her. "I remember that" she touched Doug's hand. "And junior year you freaked out about asking me"

"I did, didn't I?" He asked standing up. He pecked her cheek.

"And five years later, both of you managed to muster up and confess your feelings" Carlos teased. Evie blew a raspberry at him and slit her eyes.

"Says the one who could barely even talk to a girl other than Mal and I, without completely blanking out" Evie threw back with a laugh. Doug chuckled and put his hands up in defense, hoping neither other them would try their hand at insulting him.

Within a few more minutes, Carlos took off in his Vespa motorbike. Evie returned to her design room, Doug close in tow.

"So, is meeting Hans your next to-do?" He asked. Evie shrugged, her face speaking that she was clearly unsure if she wanted to talk to him.

"I mean, I don't know. I've never had to deal with that before. It was always just Mummy and I. But now that I really know who my dad really is and my "heiress status," it feels kind of weird to go talk to him" Evie said as she stared at one of her latest designs. The suit was plain and had a pastel green color scheme.

Doug nodded and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "That's understandable" He picked up the design sheet and smiled.

Evie groaned as he observed her work. "It's not done. At all. I drew the plainest thing in my life. It's for you. I finally decided to let you wear your green, even though it really doesn't compliment us as a couple" she complained.

Doug laughed, amused by her belief that their couple color was blue. Notably, that was the only color that his girlfriend could stand to wear, other than red. But he also knew that red and green clashed—or well reminded her of Christmas, so it was known for him to either choose blue, burgundy, black or gold... something she was so very particular about.

"And well to be honest, this design was something to keep my mind off of being an illegitimate villain, daughter of two royal wannabes" she said, her voice filled with hurt and her eyes looking away from Doug.

He frowned as this was unusual for his girlfriend who had been very collected and confident recently, despite the new findings. "Evie, you're so much more than that. So much more"

"Well no offense, but you think that. Your family thinks that. Our friends think that, but everyone else just sees the Evil Queen. As if she's alive through me. How in the world do I get the council to understand that I'm no villain?"

Doug put his hands on his chin and thought for a moment, he turned to her with a smile. "Well how did you get me to understand that you weren't your mother?"

"I don't even know. You just saw me and fell in love with me!" Evie said teasing him with oogly eyes. Doug shook his head, laughing.

"True, but you also showed me that you weren't your mom. At all. So that's how you could win them over. By being yourself" Doug said as a smile grew on Evie's face. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"That's it! You're such a genius" She exclaimed. With a hug, she thanked him and went to grab her phone and discuss things with Mal.

She was going to visit the Southern Isles in a few months with the positive anticipation that the people would be as accepting as Doug and Lonnie had been.

But what she and Doug didn't realize, was that the Southern Isles wasn't prepared for Evie. The Duke of Weselton had brought back his account of meeting Evie, filled with falsehoods, tainting her image before she even arrived.

_This trip was going to be a wild ride, whether they were prepared for it or not. _


	9. Chapter VIII: A Mirage of Smooth Sailing

As a counselor to the King of Auradon and advocate for the Isle, Mal provided her the works for her visit to the Southern Isles. Of course Doug was right next to her as she peered out of the tinted, bulletproof windows of a diplomatic vehicle. The news had traveled fast of her visit. She had gotten relatively good press back in Auradon City. Articles ranging from 'Evie Queen of Four Hearts to visit the Southern Isles' to 'Counselor to King Ben off to the Southern Isles.'

But she felt like she was in a whole different country. The streets were wide and cobblestone. There were a few cars, but mostly buggies and bikes. It seemed as if they hadn't switched to modern advancements, but then again, their airport was the most technologically savvy that Evie had seen and they had large Jumbotron in the town's plaza.

Kids who were playing games, stopped and gawked at the car passing them. People wandered from their homes and businesses to see who had just passed by.

As much as she hoped, people hadn't been very friendly. From the airport greeters, to the average citizens and the glares from the people outside of the car door, she didn't want to get out. But they had already made their destination and set out to learn the truth about her family's past and re-establish her slandered image.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, her heeled boots touched the ground and Doug got out within a short moment after her. A man in a smart suit immediately took Evie's hand and bowed slightly. "Miss Queen. Sir Hans shall be in shortly. He was out for tea, advising the community council on how to approach the death of his brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

"Very well. Thank you..." Evie said waiting for a name as the man nervously walked away, with an audible gulp. Doug looked to Evie who sighed in annoyance.

Just as they followed one of the guards in front of Hans's residence, a the colonial style brick home, a newspaper flew into Evie's face. She frantically removed it. She eyed the front page and immediately ripped it in half. Doug took it from her, putting the pieces together and furrowed his brows.

'Half-witch, illegitimate girl of Hans Westergaard to take over the throne' it read. The black and white image plastered to the paper was of Evie as she fought Maleficent, a deathly glare on her face. Of course, Maleficent was not in the frame and neither was any of the actual situation.

Doug handed the pages he crumpled out of irritation to a guard who Evie told to dispose of it.

He followed Evie inside, in awe of the home that looked larger than the exterior had. He heard the clicking of heels as a girl, just a few years younger than Evie came from around the corner into the living room. All of the rooms on the first floor seemed to connect and a spiraling staircase led up to the second floor. The girl stood in front of the fireplace, her eyes squinting at the two guests.

"I thought Mirage said Daddy would be home by the time she," the girl said to a man in a black suit and dark glasses. She pointed her thumb at Evie. "Got here"

The guard just shrugged, and a taller woman came to the teen girl's side from the kitchen. "You must be Hans's other daughter" she said, her voice sleek and clear.

The tall and slim woman tightened her grey ponytail, her green eyes seemingly piercing into Evie's soul.

Evie and Doug glanced at each other, confused looks on their faces. "Wait... what? Other?" Evie asked her voice rising in complete shock. Evie turned to face Doug and he shrugged. The room seemed to turn as she closed her eyes and opened them once again.

"I have a sister?" Evie asked aloud as Mirage gave her a smirk and crossed her arms.

_I think I'm going to be sick. _

—


	10. Chapter IX: May of '98

"Other?" Evie asked again as the teenaged girl scoffed.

"I'd prefer the term step-sister and yes. I'm Hana."

_Oh, so he forgot all about the fact that he gave his first kid Hana as a middle name and decided that the kid that actually mattered would get it. Fine by me, we're looking to be at a great start and I haven't even met this guy..._ Evie thought, bitterly.

The four awkwardly looked at each other and around the house. There was a jostling noise at the door and in came a man with amber eyes and golden hair. He looked older than Evie had remembered from seeing him around the Isle. He still had his freckles and smug smile.

"Mirage, I see you have gotten to meet Genevieve," Hans said, his voice clear and confident. He gestured to the tall woman and Hana. He removed his jacket and Evie wanted to hide.

It wasn't their first time seeing each other. She ran into him on the Isle once in the Marketplace, but this was different. She actually knew she was his daughter. Suddenly, Evie felt the lunch she and Doug had gotten at the airport, bubbling up.

As he offered her a seat on the sofa, Doug sat next to her. She gripped his hand. Hans chose a seat across from her, Hana and Mirage sat towards the fireplace, each with a cup of tea.

"May I offer you anything," Hans asked as Evie glanced around the room. She looked up in surprise. She shook her head and turned to Doug who politely declined. "Well, Genevieve. It's been a very long time. Say, 18 years huh?"

Evie frowned, her confusion boiling up, along with her lunch.

"Dad! I'm 18,'' Hana said with a snicker. Hans looked up and winked at his younger daughter.

"Uh, my fault, Genevieve. Um, 19?" He asked again, turning back to his eldest child as Evie rolled her eyes and almost snorted. _They were really off to a great start. _

"Okay. So I'd really like you to stop with the _Genevieve_. I go by Evie. Secondly, I'm 21. I was born April 10th in '99, if you need the reminder. It's clear you've quite forgotten about me, so let me just start with what I wanted from you. Am I the next heir to the throne?" Evie said, her voice hard and uneven.

She had been just a few decisions away from up and leaving. She didn't understand why her father left, but assumed he'd have missed her. Or maybe even still remembered her birthday. But no. She had been wrong.

"Well, _Evie_. I—I am a Westergaard. Therefore my family is on the throne. The tragic loss of my brother and his family has been difficult. And, well, because I'm the youngest and everyone else has either passed on or has renounced the throne, it leaves me. Because of my past, I am ineligible to be in power. So if we cannot find an heir, it would allow some of my cousins to rule. Specifically, the Duke of Weselton"

Evie and Doug both shuddered at the name. Hana and her mother scoffed and shook their heads. _Clearly this guy was not too popular in the Southern Isle either._ It disgusted Evie even more that she shared ancestry with the Duke. _Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to discover her family..._ She turned back to her father who cleared his throat.

"You're my eldest child, so the throne is kind of automatically going to you," he said. Evie frowned, the news not registering in her brain quite yet. "And that doesn't mean you need to take it, though. It would then be passed to Hana, who is ready to abdicate the throne for a freer life," Hans rushed out.

Doug slightly raised his hand, signaling he wanted to clear a few things up. "So what you're saying is that Evie currently has the choice to take the throne or abdicate? Oh and it's also not of your choice since it's illegal for you to rule the Southern Isles because of your past crimes?" Doug asked writing notes in a pocket notebook. Hans rose an eyebrow at the young man with glasses, dressed in black jeans and a plain royal blue shirt, color coordinated with Evie. Doug adjusted his round glasses and smiled.

"I apologize, I never introduced myself. I'm Doug, Evie's boyfriend," he said putting out his hand. Hans shook it firmly.

"Well, then Doug. You are right. But I need you, Evie, to understand this one thing" Hans looked over to the girl who stared into blank space with confusion on her face, her lips pursed. "Evie?"

She snapped out of her trance and her face heated up. "Yeah?"

"You can always say no. The Southern Isles isn't really too fond of you and well, it's going to be hard to rule with so many people against you." he said shrugging.

"I'll think about it" Evie responded, quietly. "I know these people hate me because of what they've heard of me, but I'm sure if they got to know me, their mindsets would change. Can you tell me a little more about your side of the family. Mummy hasn't really told me anything. An-and why did you leave me?"

Hans shifted in his seat and clasped his hands together. He turned away from Evie and crossed his arms, before dropping them to his side. The room got utterly silent and he turned back to face his daughter. Staring at her blue hair, the same shade as when she was just a baby, faint memories coming back to him. He shifted his eyes to meet hers that perfectly matched his own. And glancing at the faint freckles on the bridge of her nose, he began to feel something he hadn't felt in forever.

The feeling of guilt that he ever left his daughter. There was no excuse he could give her that would ease the harsh reality of why he left. Hans could only hope that she would be willing to forgive her. But by her initial thoughts on him forgetting her birthday, he knew she wasn't going to take this lightly.

"Hana and Mirage. I believe you both have something to attend to," he said, the two of them standing up and leaving the room, understanding the space he wanted.

Evie turned to Doug hoping her dad would let him stay.

"I suppose you would like your boyfriend to stay," he asked. Evie nodded her head as she finally took her hand from Doug's, adjusting the signet ring on her ring finger. "Understandable. This will probably be awhile, so get comfortable."

Hans took a sip of his coffee, before he continued. "It all started in May of '98. The barrier had been in place for about three years and things were surprisingly fresher and nicer than they are now..."


	11. Chapter X: Politely Polarized

_"It was a cool Spring day. Back then, the Isle had a little sunlight through the clouds and we had warmer temperatures. The buildings were old and the Island of the Isle was formed from an old ghost town of Auradon. Fairy Godmother detached the area and sent it about 100 kilometers away from the mainland. I moved to the Cove of Roses as it was one of the only locations that didn't seem to be deemed "Maleficent" territory when she declared herself the Queen of the Isle. I hadn't been around the main parts of the Isle often, so I went to check out the marketplace. _

_There, I had found multiple little gadgets one in particular being a Polaroid camera. It was blue and had a little red heart decal on it. I assumed it was a lost item that got thrown over here. It only sold for a nickel and an apple to a thin, tall woman. _

_I had my eyes set on the camera as I assumed it would take better pictures than the old piece of junk I found at Facilier's shop. So I made plans to flirt my way over to the woman. I didn't get to her in time as she hitched a ride with a few goblins in a rickety golf cart. I ran after the cart and it led me back to where I had set up camp in the Cove of Roses. The woman took off her hood and that's when I fell in love with her. Well, her hair" _

"Wait, what? You fell in love with Mummy's hair?" Evie asked, her giggles turning into her trademark snort laugh. Hans smiled at her laugh, beginning to chuckle himself. His chuckle morphed into the snort laugh he realized she had inherited from him.

Evie stopped laughing as she noticed the exact same thing. She blushed slightly and waved her hand. "You can continue. I'm sorry."

Just as quickly as she had laughed, her face turned back to her previous emotionless stare. Hans caught himself in his laugh and returned to the story. Both parties pretending as if nothing ever happened.

_"Yes, her hair. She had dark waves that seemed to go on forever. She carried a basket with other things inside of it, including the camera. So as I followed her, I almost tripped on a log and caught myself before she noticed. But she already knew I was behind her. As we got to a large castle, covered in moss and fog, she turned around, suddenly holding out a stick. Just as she was about to whack me in the face, your mother noticed my crown. _

_Given the fact that I never got my title removed, I was one of the only villains on that Isle to actually have a right to wear this," he said taking off the crown around his head. _

_"She was so enamored by it and in that moment, I realized something. I told her that I was first in-line to the throne in the Southern Isles. And once Maleficent figured out how to break the barrier, I'd make her my queen"_

Doug and Evie scoffed at the familiarity of that statement. It sounded just like someone they knew... another prince who had an unhealthy obsession with crowns and kinghood.

_"And she actually fell for it. She said she'd put everything on paper, only asking second for my name. As I bowed to her, she had a softness to her eyes and a picture perfect smile. I followed her inside of the Castle Across the Way. _

_I hadn't heard of Grimhilde and she hadn't heard of me. And no pun intended, she really had been the fairest woman I had seen. She had blood red lips, dimples on either cheek and high cheekbones. Her green eyes were pale, but warm. I had been infatuated by her. I helped her cook a meal out of the few items in her basket and I asked her about the things no one ever did. I saw this woman in a different light than most had seen. Because of our deal, she offered me a room in her castle. _

_I took her offer. If you can believe it, she was actually tolerable and well-educated. And we both fell madly in love. I mean I won't get into detail, but things happened, and... well you existed." _

Evie coughed awkwardly with a small smile. "I suppose so"

_"You were what Grimhilde feared most, as terrible as it sounds. Fairy Godmother's spell had resurrected most villains to the age in which they had died. Your mother's story had taken place when Snow White was 14. What the story doesn't tell is that she and Snow only had a 10 year age difference. _

_She had been afraid to lose her beauty and youth. She didn't know what she would do with you. Didn't know a thing about effectively raising a baby. I-I had been selfish and was looking forward to having an heir. So I assured her that I'd be there with her to raise you. _

_April came way too quickly for us and she gave birth to you, late at night. I was expecting a boy. N-not a girl. You were meant to be named Henry and I would have registered my son with the surname Westergaard and the title 'Prince of the Southern Isles.' But I freaked. I realized how tiny your little life was and I ran from where you were. Within a few hours, I came back and held you. _

_I couldn't get over that I had a daughter. And well how small you were. How much you looked like me. But I was disappointed that you weren't a boy. So a few days after, Grimhilde allowed me to choose your name. I chose Genevieve after your mother, Hana after me, Rose because your mother adored them and Westergaard, my surname. _

_She was so obsessed with you, making sure the blankets were clean, you had gotten enough to eat. That even at the slightest hiccup, you were fine. I had planned to leave and so I tried to distance myself from you. But that didn't work as I never wanted to leave this tiny, warm bundle. _

_When we received word that they would add you to the census, title and all, I gave a last word to Grimhilde. The next morning, I left" _

Hans stopped talking as Evie's face, nor her body moved. She was just as still as the silence. He saw her eyes glinting in the light, realizing there was liquid forming, despite her hard stare.

"I had to. I couldn't raise you. I wanted a son. It was clear we weren't getting off the Isle anytime soon. We were both too young and I just never wanted any of it to happen. It was hard to erase you and your mom. Especially you. Every day I would remember your big amber eyes and silky sapphire hair" Hans said his voice softening.

Evie turned to solely face Doug. She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back her tears. However, a light stream had already started down her face. Doug wiped them away and whispered words of comfort to her. She lightly sniffled and Hans stood up, giving them a few minutes.

As he walked away, he silently cursed himself for walking away from her again. For walking away from his first family. Repeating the story made him realize how stupid his decision had been. How shallow his values were. Hans walked back to the young woman who was trying to stop her tears, but still managed to maintain her composure.

"I'm sorry" he said as Evie nodded her head, not bothering to look up to him. "So, that day when you ran into me in the marketplace, looking for Jafar's boy, I had stopped you"

"I know. I didn't know you had been my father" Evie said still looking away as she wiped her face.

"I told you not to run into me again and that you didn't need to run the streets at midnight as pretty as you were. When I found you, I knew this was my chance to say everything I had kept inside. You probably thought I was just some guy who thought they could tell a girl around"

"Yeah, an egotistical jerk no better than Hades" Evie spat, bitterly. "So you went on and got a new family? Moved out to The Southern Isles and I never once crossed your mind?! Do you know the kind of life I lived?!"

Hans sighed, ashamed of his actions. Their conversation wasn't what he expected, but then again he hadn't even gotten to know his daughter since she was an infant, so he really couldn't say much. "I'm sorry, Evie. I had hoped you would move past this. That we could make amends"

"And there you go with the 'sorry.' Look. I just want my title. That's all I came for. Not you, not to talk, not to make amends. To validate something that's been hidden from me" Evie threw her hands up, her voice raised.

Doug placed his hand over hers, but she immediately rejected the touch. Evie's anger had transferred to the gesture that usually made her feel the most comfortable. In response, he shifting away from her. However, Evie didn't notice his change in demeanor.

"Move past the fact that you didn't give a Hades about me or my mother?! I can't believe that you really want to act like nothing happened!"

"Evie. Please" Hans said in an attempt to calm her down. "I will not hear of this. You think I didn't regret every mistake I made? I did think of you and your mother, until I pushed you out of my memory"

Evie's face was cold and red. She wanted to leave, but her feet were still planted on the hardwood floor. Everything was circling her mind. He had loved her mother. He left them, he moved on. Leaving her to the wrath of the Evil Queen. "I can imagine Mummy had been upset"

Hans looked up from swirling the coffee in his mug, surprised. "Well, yes. Naturally. As much as she hated my guts, she wanted to be loved. I-I provided her that emotion, as I also took it away"

She nodded her head, contemplating whether to go or not. What to say next. Upon understanding how her parents had gotten together, she couldn't process the fact that he really didn't bother to check up on her when the barrier opened. Or even back on the Isle. She had a yearning to rekindle a relationship with her parents, much like Mal had done. The purple fairy had managed to grow _Gecko_ _Maleficent_ an inch longer and she and Hades were off to a pretty civil relationship.

But the fear of rejection. The fear of everything going wrong stopped her. She had yet to process whether it was genuine or if she was being tricked.

She turned to Doug, hoping he'd help her, or even lead the conversation to an end. But as she noticed his distance from her, Evie frowned. He didn't look up and instead was focused intently on a painting in front of him. She was just about to inquire about what was bothering him, but she was interrupted by the clicking of heels.

Breaking the silence, Mirage and Hana appeared in the room again. "Dear, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the Duke of Earlton would like to discuss the future of the Southern Isles" Hans immediately looked up, with a smile. The man was glad to escape the awkward situation.

"Indeed. Uh, Evie. I-I will..." he trailed off as she stared at him expectantly. "I'll see you later" And once more, the man was off. He disappeared around the corner, going out of the back entrance. Mirage and Hana cleared their throats as Doug and Evie stood up.

"We'll be going, then. It was very nice to be of your acquaintance" Evie said politely, following Doug who had also exchanged a civil goodbye. The two hurried them out of the house, a little too quickly for Evie. She rolled her eyes and stepped down the stairs, Doug close in tow.

"Hey, you seem kind of out of it" Evie said turning around to face him as the diplomatic limo pulled up and a guard opened the door for her.

Doug didn't reply immediately.

She got inside and he went to the opposite side, opening his own door, a guard closing it.

"I'm good" he said, staring out the window.

Evie turned away, feeling the tension in the backseat. She leaned her head on the window and took out her phone. She clicked on his name and began to type her message.

Hey, I know it's kinda stupid, but I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to be so upset with you.

It was more towards my dad.

**You're fine. It's just something else. **

An emoji for your thoughts? ?

**It's really nothing, Evie. Just a little out of it. **

Oh. 

I won't push you. ily.

**I love you, too. **

Usually, Doug was direct with his emotions. But what had made him suddenly so distant? If it wasn't the way she removed her hand from his, then what was it? She had hoped to talk through what they heard and he'd help her make a decision about the throne. But as she glanced at him, his fingers were furiously typing on his phone, the glow of the blue light shining on his glasses.

_He probably just wants some space from me_, she thought. _But why?_


	12. Chapter XI: Cold Shoulders and Pizza

The ride back to the hotel was silent, but comfortable. Over the course of the hour ride to the main city that favored Auradon City, Evie had fallen asleep on Doug's shoulder. By the time they arrived it was only seven in the evening, but jet lag had taken a toll on her, as it was only noon in Auradon City. In the Southern Isles, this time of year was the darkest. Even as the sun usually wouldn't set in Auradon City until eight, it was already pitch black.

With a honk of the horn, the driver looked in the rear view mirror. ""Your destination"

Doug looked up from his phone and to his side. Gently shaking Evie awake, he thanked the driver and waited for her to open her eyes. They fluttered open and she yawned, stretching as much as she could. "Our destination awaits, Princess" he said sliding out of the car. She followed suit and one of the doormen unloaded the trunk of the car. The couple them went inside the large hotel as their luggage followed behind them.

"Mal wasn't kidding when she said she'd put in that you'd get the works" Doug chuckled. Evie nodded, her eyes shining at the chandeliers above her head and the marble flooring. Evie could barely walk as she was in awe of the hotel. Finally making their way to the receptionist the woman smiled.

"Checking in? May I get a surname?"

"Queen" Evie said just as her phone rang. She pressed the "talk" button and answered. "Hey, M. Can I call you right back?"

"Evie Queen, fourth floor suite. Requested by Lady Mal..." the woman breathed out. Her eyes were wide as she shook her head trying to gain her composure. "Um, Alfred will guide you to the suite. May I ask the occasion? Honeymoon?"

Evie and Doug both blushed and awkwardly coughed. "No. Just a vacation"

"Oh! Well the fourth floor suite is the best room we have. Usually for couples on their honeymoon. If you don't mind, I can have someone go remove the rose petals" the woman chuckled.

"We can do it ourselves. She's a little tired" Doug said. The receptionist thanked them and they walked away, following the doorman.

As they rode up to the fourth floor in the elevator, the doorman—Alfred—filled them in on complimentary breakfast, spa availability, the fitness room as well as the sauna. "Dank je" Doug said as he took the bellman cart with their luggage and they went to find their suite.

"You speak Dutch?" Evie asked in surprise. Things were still a little awkward between them as she still didn't know why he was acting so strange. She turned back to him as he shrugged.

"I know a little"

"Oh. Well, here's 415" Evie said taking out the key card and swiping it. The door unlocked with a click and she stepped inside, bursting into laughter. Doug frowned in confusion, until he walked inside.

The room was lit by a few candles, rose petals scattered around the bed. A basket of goodS and two gourmet chocolate swans sat on the desk. "Um, so that's interesting" Evie said. "Should we see if we can switch rooms? I think Mal ordered the room before I told her you were coming..."

Doug started picking up rose petals and turned on the lamp, blowing out a few candles. Evie took out her phone and sent a picture to Mal.

"It's really not a big deal, Evie. I can sleep on the couch" Doug said. Evie turned to face him and rolled her eyes.

"Can we talk after I get off the phone with Mal?" she asked. Doug nodded in response. She went to check out the closet and the bathroom as Mal answered.

The best friends spoke for almost half an hour and when Evie came out of the bathroom, the room looked normal. Two laps were on, candles were stored in a closet and the rose petals were history.

"Nice cleaning" Evie said sitting on the other side of the bed where he was busy typing something into his phone.

"Thanks" Doug put his phone down and looked her way.

"So, what's really been up with you? Ever since I got upset with my dad, you've been out of it"

"It's not—"

"Don't tell me it's nothing. Because it is" Evie said crossing her arms.

"Well I think Mirage is up to something. When you got upset, I heard the click of her high heels, but I have no idea where she was. Then something was off with the painting. I've been checking out her villain file and back in the 70s, she had deceived Mr. Incredible, but actually ended up help him later on. Your dad specialized in deception as well. I wouldn't be surprised if she still has some of her deceptive ways"

Evie cocked her head. "You think that my dad and his cousin are pulling me into a trick?"

"Something like that. I just don't think I like this place, to be honest. Something feels wrong" Doug said. He turned to his left, awaiting her response, but she didn't seem fazed by his assumption. Evie shook her head.

"But why? Just to keep me from legally becoming Queen? I don't think so. I just—he actually seemed kind of genuine" Evie said her eyes staring into space. "So Mirage is trying to keep me from gaining access to the throne and reclaiming my title? Are you sure you're not just over analyzing things. I mean she and my step-sister seemed kinda rude, but is that enough to assume their trying to sabotage me?"

"All I said was that I don't trust them. The painting looked off. Like there might have been hidden cameras within it. It didn't seem to belong there either. There was a hole next to it where I assumed it used to hang" Doug said trying to get his concern across. "I texted Ben to check her suspicious activity ranking, and it's pretty low. But still, I don't think you should be so trusting"

"Well I don't see the problem. And you know how often I move my furniture around. Maybe you're just worn out" Evie said standing up and unloading her pajamas. "I say sleep it off"

Doug shrugged and with a sigh, he closed his eyes, contemplating whether to take some type of action or just leave it alone.

_This is unlike Evie. Usually she's more cautious than this. But I really think something is fishy with Mirage. The way she came back into the room, but hid. The way she kept eyeing the painting. The way she shooed us out so quickly. But maybe I am overreacting, _he thought.

When he opened his eyes, Evie was busy plaiting her hair into a single blue braid. She had already removed her makeup, her face exhibiting her light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She tied the end of her braid and flipped it over her back.

She turned to face him and smiled. "Hey, I get why you'd be suspicious. These people already hate me. But we don't really have much evidence against her"

Doug nodded and returned the small smile. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Do you mind ordering something for us?"

"Yeah, I saw a pizza place across the street" Doug said standing up and grabbing his key card.

"Oh. I meant room service"

"I know. I need some fresh air. It'll only be a minute. Thin crust, fresh ovoline mozzarella and basil leaves, right"

Evie nodded her head and with a wave, he was gone.

* * *

Doug walked up the busy street with cars whizzing past him and horns honking. He stopped inside the pizzeria and ordered two personal sized pizzas. As he waited for the order, he took out his phone and dialed Hans.

He took in a deep breath and gulped. "Hello, my name is Douglas White. I am Evie's boyfriend. We met just earlier today. I wanted to know where you found that painting of Saint Laurent. My mother attended the university years ago, and has been looking for art of him recently.

The man didn't immediately answer. "It's actually something Mirage bought. I'm not even sure. I could switch the lines for you if that would help. Saint Laurent, huh? The prestigious Catholic university. Yeah, I'll switch the lines. Mirage is more into stuff like that. She just switched some art around this morning for the 'aesthetic' or so it's called"

Doug shook his head. _Hans seems way too oblivious. Of course he could just be pretending, but this guy actually seems pretty genuinely unsure. Maybe Evie was right about her dad. It might just be Mir—_

Before he could finish his thoughts, Mirage answered the phone, her voice much higher than that afternoon. "Hello? I see you've taken a liking to my Saint Laurent painting. It's really nothing special, you know. I got it years and years ago before they locked me up on that gruesome island" she said. "I can't really tell you much about it. I hope your mother finds some art. Is that all?"

Once again, she rushed him off. _She has a plan alright_... Doug thought as his name was called and he grabbed the pizzas. "Nope. That was all. Thanks anyway," he hung up the phone and nearly ran back to the hotel.

Upon arriving, he clicked the key card and closed the door. Evie peeked her head from around the corner of the bathroom, her pajamas on. She came back out and sat at the desk. "It's been a half-hour. Was it super busy at the pizzeria or something?

"Uh, yeah. Oh, and Mirage has had that painting since before the Isle and get this, she put up the painting today" Doug said handing her a box. She immediately smiled at the smell, until she registered the information.

"You called Mirage?!" Evie asked, whipping her head around.

"Well yes, but no. I called your dad. And I'm positive she's up to something. She rushed me off the phone, just as she did earlier when she rushed up out of her house.

Evie groaned. "Maybe she feels like you're invading her privacy, Doug. You called just to ask about a painting?"

"Yes, Evie. I did. And only in respect of your safety"

"My safety? What about your sanity? What about trying not to overwhelm my dad or any of my newfound relatives? You're just overreacting!" Evie huffed in annoyance. She turned away and ate her pizza. Doug sighed and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower. _Maybe this would wash off all of his "overreacting nature..." _

"Your pizza is going to get cold!" Evie called, her voice carrying to where he closed the door.

"Well, I like cold pizza!"

* * *

"I hate cold pizza" Doug muttered as he sat next to Evie who was busy flipping through channels. He had put the rest of his half eaten pizza with Evie's in the refrigerator, but the taste was still in his mouth. Even after brushing his teeth three times.

"I know you do. I told you to go ask for a microwave"

"That was logical, but relative to how tired I am, it's really wasn't ideal" He said, Evie chuckling.

The room went silent again other than noise of the tv. "So... I'm kind of tired" Evie blurted. Doug nodded. As he started to get up, Evie pulled his hand. "No. You're fine right here"

He didn't bother arguing with her, instead plugged his phone into the charger and set his head on the pillow. Evie left the tv on, the sound posing as white noise for her. She had left it on the 24 hour news channel and snuggled up with her pillow. Reaching out to his shoulder, her turned to face her.

"Goodnight, Doug" she whispered, her voice soft.

"Goodnight, Evie" he responded. He turned to the other side and tried to block out the sound of the TV, his mind still focused on the painting and Mirage. _Could she really have been recording the conversion? Is that legal here? And what does she have against Evie? It's not like she could ever be Queen. _


	13. Chapter XII: Twists and Turns

_"Breaking News: Mirage, Duchess of the Osloway has paid her duties to the city. She has exposed the half-witch daughter of her cousin Hans Westergaard. If there are children, we advise you to remove them. Extreme violence and disgraceful content is present," said the reporter. _

Doug stirred in his sleep, suddenly hearing the TV. At first he thought it was a dream. That was until he blinked his eyes open and saw familiar blue hair on the screen. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to remove the sleep. Watching in pure shock, he didn't want to wake Evie as she peacefully slept, her arm dangling over the edge.

_Oh, Poisoned Apples, Doug!_ He thought to himself. _You knew! You really knew! _

But it wasn't long until Evie began to stir and fluttered her eyes open. "What's wrong?" She asked sitting up. Her eyes weren't completely open, but her ears definitely were.

"Eve, I—" Doug could barely get out before she completely opened her eyes and looked at the screen. She saw herself standing up, yelling and her hair flashing... blue? Hans looked in disappointment. It showed her leaving and Hans with a smile on his face.

She looked down and felt tears brimming her eyes. _Doug had been right. And I told him to forget about it._ She glanced back up at the screen as the corner read 'viewer discretion advised' and the reporter returned after the video.

"After that chilling clip, Mirage, Duchess of Osloway is looking for our national support to protest the half-witch's presence in our monarchy. Cast in your support to the National Council and the Duke of Weselton. She has been exposed and we cannot have that kind of behavior exhibited and taint our land."

They switched to the weather and Evie let some of her tears fall. Doug turned to Evie and hugged her, letting her wet his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Doug said as Evie shook her head.

"It's not fair."

"I should have done something."

Evie was shaking as she suddenly let go. "What could you have done?! They destroyed me. Slandered me, Doug. She altered what actually happened! And how could you have stopped that? That's what I want to know. You probably verified it with Mirage that you knew about the painting and she went ahead and did it in spite," she wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"Well, that's not very rational. I'm sure she had plans before I called her. She would have went along with her plan anyway. I don't know how I could have stopped her, but if you didn't tell me that I was overreacting, I could have tried Ben and Mal. Or asked Carlos to hack the new station, replacing the file."

"So you're telling me that I am to blame for this?!" Evie said she got up and took out her braid, her face red and puffy.

"No... actually kind of," Doug began before she interrupted him. Evie turned around, a deathly glare on her face. "I still don't think you should have gotten so upset with your dad and well, I did tell you about Mirage and you blew me off. I should've just went ahead with my instincts."

Evie didn't say anything as she scoffed. "This whole time, you've just been so—so... different!"

Neither one said anything more as Evie went in the bathroom to change her clothes. She stared into the mirror, having no idea what she was going to do. From the slanderous media, to the failed chat with her dad, to her newfound opportunity to become queen, Evie felt lost. Even so, she and her boyfriend had tension.

_Why weren't things going as smoothly as she planned?_

* * *

After breakfast, things got even more tense when Evie decided to mention her title again. They sat in silence for the entire morning since the newscast that slandered her.

"You know the reason I'm here is for my title, right?" Evie asked, turning to her boyfriend.

"Yes, but I mean you've been named heiress to the throne. You're not planning to take it, right? These aren't your people, Evie." Doug adjusted his glasses as he continued to read up on the Southern Isles at the desk in the pamphlet placed there by the staff.

"What if I want to? I might want to be Queen of the Southern Isles," Evie said. "You don't know what I want."

"I kind of do. You want to be a Princess legally and become a world renowned fashion designer," Doug said closing his book. He wasn't too convinced this was his blue-haired love. He turned to the face Evie, who had a red face out of frustration.

"And they kinda are my people. Half this island is probably some relative of mine. And since I'm the next heir to the throne, eventually they would be my people," Evie argued back.

"You're really considering reigning over this place? Have you not noticed that these people hate you? You'd forever leave Auradon City. You'd rarely get to see the rest of us," Doug said in disbelief that she'd even consider taking the throne. Evie crossed her arms and moved to sit across the room from him on the bed

"You're saying you'd stay in Auradon City?!" Evie asked, her voice beginning to rise.

"I have a career I want to build. Who said I wanted to be your King Consort?" Doug said, his voice cracking, though he managed to stay calm.

The heat in her face rose. Gaining crimson in her cheeks, Evie scoffed. "Well if you aren't here to be moral support, then I don't know what you're here for."

"You're really not making any sense, Evie. I just don't think you should get involved in this region. They're rude and it was never on the agenda to take the throne," Doug stood up and took her hands in his own. She limply held onto his hands, her eyes averting his gaze.

"Maybe I want to be Queen. Maybe I want to reign over a region. I would be someone. I would get to have a title. Think if it, a VK as a Queen."

"I'm pretty sure Mal will take that liberty. You, Evie are taking the fashion world by storm. That is where you have a place. Dizzy and the Children of the Isle all love you and look up to you."

Evie didn't move. She looked up at him, a blank stare in her eyes. Doug frowned just as she let go.

"I spent my life training to be a Princess. And now to find out I am one legally, makes me feel something different. If I take the reign, they will have to give my title back. That's what I want. And that's what I'll get."

Evie turned away and Doug stepped back. She grabbed her phone and rapidly typed into her keyboard. "If you don't want to respect that, then you can leave. All you did was ruin this situation. First you call my dad, then you basically allow Mirage to slander me, now you're trying to impose on my trip. This whole time, _you've_ been different."

"No, Evie. You're the one who's acting different," Doug said as she whipped her head around to face him. A state on her face he'd never seen before. "Maybe this whole title thing has gone to your head."

Evie didn't respond immediately as she closed her eyes, her face completely red, She looked up finally to meet his eyes. "Just leave then, okay?!"

"If you want me to, then I will," Doug said, bitterly. His tone matched his face of disappointment.

The hotel room stayed silent as he packed his things. _This title thing really has gone to her head. And it seems as if her desire to be a legal Princess has changed her, _Doug thought.

Evie didn't realize quite what she had just done. The moments seemed to get away from her as her color drained from her face. She wanted to cry, but after everything she had said and the fact he was indeed leaving, she oddly needed her pride to remain. Her pride. Something she had never lost but instead grew into humility and humbleness. To apologize and retract the words she had spat to him would just make her feel like the villain.

And she wasn't the villain Auradon portrayed her to be. She was meant to be a Princess and had always been one. This title would restore the feelings she wanted and needed—more like the feelings she _felt_ she needed.

It was as if the affirmation of being on the throne had indeed gone to Evie's head. But only time could tell when it would dissolve.

Hearing the click of his suitcase, Evie looked towards her boyfriend and they both let out heavy sighs. It was like The Southern Isles had changed something about the both of them.

With a simple wave, Doug let himself out and took the elevator down.

As Evie sat in the now cold room, she assured herself _everything_ would be alright. But that _everything_ had already collapsed onto her shoulders.


	14. Chapter XIII: A Frozen Heart pt 1

That afternoon, the air around Evie felt different. This was their first argument as an official couple. The only other bumps in the road she could remember was when he expressed his insecurities about Happy's son (Harold is his name, just in case you were wondering) and the family day incident which were both a total misunderstanding.

Though she knew that any healthy relationship contained disagreements, Evie still felt numb. For Doug to suddenly pack up and go, it wasn't his thing when it came to dealing with conflict. Maybe she drove him to his wits end. Or maybe he just needed a break from her. Nevertheless, Evie couldn't believe that her trip had gradually turned into disaster.

With a buzz to her cell phone on the charger, she assumed it was done charging. But as the buzzes continued, Evie realized that may not have been the case. Her mind began to race. Part of her expected it to be Doug, but the other half of her wasn't sure what she'd say if it were him. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak with him, she just... wasn't ready.

Closing her eyes and taking in a breath, she flipped the phone over and glanced at the screen. An unknown number was listed as the Caller ID and the color returned to her face. Within a few seconds, the unknown caller hung up, however they called again.

This time, though in a mood from the whirlwind of events the day had brought, she answered.

"Hello?" Evie's voice was short and snappy, out of her normal character.

"_Evie, Hans here. I know you're probably angry at Mirage and I. Well, I wanted to, you know, apologize. I knew of nothing my cousin was doing. Your first day here and it looks like no one is on your side. I just wanted to let you know that I—that I am around if you wanted a safety net._"

She frowned, placing her phone on the side table. Evie didn't know whether she was just angry or so bitter that it hurt. My dad is calling to tell me to trust him—without directly saying to trust him. Do I trust him?

She had never dealt with this before. It had been a long time since she hadn't trusted someone. Back on the Isle it was customary to do so, because everyone had a wicked side. But she had trusted Ben from the start. Then later Doug and Lonnie (not including family day).

Was it possible that she do the same with her father? The man who abandoned she and her mother, all because he wanted a son.

"Well, I'm not sure if I'm ready. Kind of got a lot going on, Sir Westergaard."

"Dad is fine too," Hans said quickly.

Evie chuckled. "We'll get there in due time_._"

"Just putting it out there, Evie."

There was silence on the line between them.

"Yeah, maybe later this week. I just need a little space." She replied, placing her hand beneath her chin.

"I understand. You know, call if you want to."

"Great. Later."

Evie hung up and placed her phone on the bedside table. She switched the lamp in the room off, deciding to take some shut eye. She got up to close the curtains and returned to the mound of blankets.

Switching on the television, she laid her head on the pillow watching multiple princes line up in hope to be crowned by a princess. The princess would choose one of the princes and they would be engaged.

It was quite a silly show to Evie, considering how much she had grown, but mindlessly watching it would hopefully bring her to a nap.

Before she could drift into a resting slumber, there was a buzz to her phone again. Eyeing the device, she reluctantly turned it over to find a message across her screen.

**Elsa 11 **

It was a simple message, sent by the exact person she didn't think she'd get a message from for awhile.

_He probably wanted to make sure I remembered_, she thought.

After hearing of her journey to the Arendelle district, Queen Elsa, courtesy of King Ben had arranged to meet Evie. She had been marveling about it for weeks, specifically bringing it up to Doug multiple times a day. But that had all disappeared after this disastrous trip.

Evie wouldn't deny that she still was excited to sit down with the Queen of Arendelle, but her earlier actions continued to re-establish themselves in her memory. She was indeed feeling melancholy.

_An hour_, Evie thought as she sat up on the mattress, pulling back the duvet.

Just an hour

* * *

The distance between her hotel in the heart of the big city to the capital estate had only been two miles. Before she knew it, the diplomatic vehicle pulled up to the gate.

Her instinct had been to take a picture and show Doug, only remembering that there was a reason why she was taking a picture. He was supposed to be there with her.

In an attempt to distract herself, she peeked out of the tinted window. Beyond the gate they had driven through, was what Evie's mouth nearly dropped at. The estate of the Southern Isles was twice the size of Beast Castle. Intricate stone designs were carved into pillars and across the entryway. Maximum security stood at posts along the gate as well as the inside of the palace gardens.

Going a slow 10 miles per hour around the path that would lead to the entryway, Evie marveled at the site.

If she remembered correctly, this was the home of the royal family, the city hall and the Capitol, where almost all government activity occurred.

The vehicle came to a halt and the driver unlocked the door. One of the palace guards took the handle of the door, opening it for Evie to climb out of. Stepping onto the cobblestone road, she smoothed her royal blue blazer and her black dress. Slightly adjusting her thin gold belt, her hands shook with nervousness mixed with a little excitement.

Evie hadn't been briefed on what Elsa exactly wanted to talk about, but she knew it surrounded the future of the Southern Isles.

Standing awkwardly on the steps, she awaited someone to show her around the palace, but no one did. Assuming it was because of the newscast earlier that day, she began to walk towards the double doors that towered above her head.

Well, until a number of men in uniform marched out of the doors, startling Evie. She jumped back slightly and stood off to the side.

Slowly, they spread out like a snowflake, revealing the Queen of Arendelle.

With poise and elegance, she walked towards Evie, the guards following close behind her.

Evie was completely starstruck as the woman gracefully approached her in a pale blue pantsuit with a tulle cape that followed her every move. She pulled a few loose strands of hair from her face, back into the braid sitting over her shoulder and stuck out her hand.

Evie quickly shook it, not expecting the firm handshake Elsa gave her.

"Hello, Miss Queen."

"Hello, your majesty," Evie said dipping into a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to be of your acquaintance."

"Thank you, and I must believe your ride was well?" She asked turning around, waving her hand for Evie to follow her. She walked almost in sync with the Queen, the royal guards moving along with the two.

"Yes, it was," Evie said, trying to stay calm and not completely freak out as the doors closed to the palace. She was inside, _and_ talking to the Queen of Arendelle.

They walked along the red carpet leading to a long hall of doors. Elsa continued to walk down the hall. Until she stopped at the 31st room, labeled _private_.

As she opened the door, a few of the guards stood outside of the room and the others came inside.

Once again, Evie tried hard to keep her gasp inaudible. The room was furnished with a sofa, a few lounge chairs, a table and along the walls were paintings of Arendelle and the Southern Isles. As she stood in awe, Elsa removed her cape, hanging it on the hook behind the door.

She took a seat on the sofa, asking one of the guards to bring in the tea. She frowned and smiled at Evie.

"Take a seat, Miss Queen. In this room, protocol does not exist." she said placing her arm on the back of sofa leaning into the cushions. She crossed her legs and smiled.

Evie took a seat, sitting up straight in the leather chair, despite the Queen's suggestion. She clapped her hands and smiled back.

"So, have you met with Hans yet?" Elsa began as Evie was caught off guard. She didn't expect her to ask that right off the bat

"I have. Yesterday, actually," Evie replied with a nod.

The guard returned with the tea and poured it into both of their cups.

"Evie, you can loosen up a little. I guess that was a bad question to begin with. I do know who you are just FYI. I read your file, courtesy of King Ben. Why I called you in wasn't just to meet you, it was to hear your story. To understand the conflict arising over the throne in the Southern Isles."

"Here's a little history: the Southern Isles was once ruled by Arendelle, but the original King Westergaard wanted his own region. Legally they are their own region, however Arendelle still provides agreement or disagreement to legislation and economic development. As the Queen of Arendelle, my duty is to serve my region, but also to see that the surrounding regions are thriving. In this case the Southern Isles is currently in peril regarding the throne. I want to hear what you have to say and what this means to you," Elsa explained.

Evie nodded her head with understanding. "I guess I should start where I got the idea to find my dad from. I had always wondered who my dad was. Sometimes it hurts, others it just felt like something that was nagging me. So I asked my boyfriend—"

Her voice suddenly cracked and she quickly apologized.

"—to help me. Ironically, my mother came to visit that same day and explained that Hans was my dad."

"Your boyfriend was supposed to be here, wasn't he? Touchy subject or he was just busy?" Elsa asked. "I am simply wondering because your voice cracked."

"That's a whole different story, but yes he was. I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you," Evie responded, her cheeks turning pink. Elsa nodded her head and gestured for Evie to continue.

"He found my birth certificate, but not the federal one that had my title on it. So, we decided to investigate by taking this trip. I wasn't expecting any of the bad press or people to be so rude."

"I can empathize with you," Elsa commented. "I remember when I took the throne and my anger and fear took my magic out of control. The entire region believed I was some kind of product of witchcraft. I was villainized and it hurt. I didn't mean to let my magic get out of control. My fear got in the way. Concealing everything I was and my powers was not the answer. I was trying to hide _myself from myself_. I never faced the issue."

"You're not going to please everyone. The Duke of Weselton still to this day despises my reign. But what attention do I give a man who finds negativity in everything?" Elsa scoffed.

"I didn't know he was this unpopular here too," Evie giggled as Elsa joined her.

"If I could, I'd give him a sentence to the Isle for his ill mentality, yet he has to be convicted of a crime. Despite trying to putting a bounty over me, back then that was overlooked since I saved the Kingdom."

"I guess that's fair. What exactly did you do? Did you think you could ever be Queen, even though the fact that the region saw you as a villain?"

"Oh yes, all the time. In my ice castle, I continued to doubt myself, but I did find comfort in being alone. Sometimes you need time to ruminate. However, that wasn't the complete answer. I needed my sister because I undoubtedly love her more than the world. I needed to face my fear directly. Maybe this time alone may give you a little room to think for yourself what you want. Isolating yourself from the issue and expecting to go about life isn't possible. One day you're going to have to face the decision to take the throne. Face your father and either dismiss him or choose to embrace him into your life. I don't know about this boyfriend of yours, but you're going to have to face whatever tension is there."

Evie felt her hands begin to sweat. _She knew she was bound to face her problems, but how? Why couldn't these decisions just make themselves? _

"Thank you for sharing your story. I just, I came here to validate whether I am a princess or not. Now I am faced with choosing to be Queen. I want to, but everyone else thinks it's a recipe for disaster. I feel like everything has just collapsed onto my shoulders. Mirage's slanderous video really ruined my image," Evie said, disappointed. She looked up from her hands to face Elsa who smiled warmly.

"I know. That video was quite the scene. Let me guess, she altered it, right?" Elsa asked lifting up her tea cup and taking a sip. Evie nodded.

"I thought so. You've been turned into a villain against your will and I know a thing or two about that. Maybe try processing what your life would be like if you were to be Queen. In the meantime, I think I have a few solutions to rewrite your image," Elsa said standing up. She walked towards the corner of the room and grabbed a few papers out of the drawer. With a pen in her hand, she quickly wrote a few things down in curly calligraphy penmanship.

"First order of business is to meet with your father in a very friendly interaction in public. That will illustrate that the man seeming to be threatened by you in the video, charity event. Lastly, it would be good to give a public statement at the anniversary of the Southern Isles in a few days. That'll give you time to rewrite your image and get a feel for the Islands,"

Elsa set the pen down, handing Evie the monogrammed sheet of paper.

"Thank you," Evie said with a smile. She eyed the clock, the time already 11:30.

"Can I offer you lunch?" The Queen asked, surprising Evie.

"Oh! Thank you."

With that the two of them requested lunch, the palace guards bringing a mobile cart of four courses. As they ate, Evie managed to loosen up around the Queen of Arendelle discussing Evie' Four Hearts and her life since the Isle.

Upon the end of their meeting, Evie thanked Elsa for the umpteenth time and climbed back into the diplomatic vehicle.

Laying her head on the window, she peered out to the landscape before her eyes. Smiling to herself replaying she and Elsa's conversation, there was a calming feeling through her body.

The conversation had opened up a little more of herself than she anticipated. Though she wasn't exactly upset over having to meet her dad, she still didn't like the idea. But then again, if it would truly help win the Southern Isles over, that was all that mattered, right?

It wasn't long before she arrived back at the hotel. Sending a wave the driver's way, she walked through the sliding doors and walked straight to the elevator. Pressing the up button, the doors opening as she met Alfred in the elevator.

"Hello. What floor?" He asked slightly sing-songy.

"Four."

"Alright. Floor four. Where is the partner?" He asked, his voice climbing an octave at the end of his question.

Evie's face reddened and she clasped her hands together. "He, uh, had to go back to work. Only a day vacation, you know," she awkwardly laughed, her smile falling at the sight of Alfred's blank stare.

"If I know, and I do know, you lovebirds disagreed." He nodded.

A smile crossed Evie's face with slight confusion in her eyes. "Yeah, that's right, but how did you know?"

"I could see it in your eyes and how you carry yourself. Even though something bothered you yesterday, you shifted his way unconsciously. Your hand hovered near his. Observation is key," Alfred said just as the elevator opened. She stepped out and turned to face him, only for the doors to close in her face. Facing the elevator, she frowned and walked to her hotel room.

_Is she really that obvious? _

Out of habit, she took out her phone pressing on her messages. Doug's name was at the top, with no new messages.

She blew out a little sigh, staring at Elsa 11.

"Is it possible to miss you already?" she whispered to herself. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, her brown eyes staring at the screen. Contemplating whether to type the message, she pressed the side of her phone, the screen going black. She closed her eyes, her mind racing as fast as her heart.

_You've really messed up, Evie. _


	15. Chapter XIII: A Frozen Heart pt 2

The distance between her hotel in the heart of the big city to the capital estate had only been two miles. Before she knew it, the diplomatic vehicle pulled up to the gate.

Her instinct had been to take a picture and show Doug, only remembering that there was a reason why she was taking a picture. He was supposed to be there with her.

In an attempt to distract herself, she peeked out of the tinted window. Beyond the gate they had driven through, was what Evie's mouth nearly dropped at. The estate of the Southern Isles was twice the size of Beast Castle. Intricate stone designs were carved into pillars and across the entryway. Maximum security stood at posts along the gate as well as the inside of the palace gardens.

Going a slow 10 miles per hour around the path that would lead to the entryway, Evie marveled at the site.

If she remembered correctly, this was the home of the royal family, the city hall and the Capitol, where almost all government activity occurred.

The vehicle came to a halt and the driver unlocked the door. One of the palace guards took the handle of the door, opening it for Evie to climb out of. Stepping onto the cobblestone road, she smoothed her royal blue blazer and her black dress. Slightly adjusting her thin gold belt, her hands shook with nervousness mixed with a little excitement.

Evie hadn't been briefed on what Elsa exactly wanted to talk about, but she knew it surrounded the future of the Southern Isles.

Standing awkwardly on the steps, she awaited someone to show her around the palace, but no one did. Assuming it was because of the newscast earlier that day, she began to walk towards the double doors that towered above her head.

Well, until a number of men in uniform marched out of the doors, startling Evie. She jumped back slightly and stood off to the side.

Slowly, they spread out like a snowflake, revealing the Queen of Arendelle.

With poise and elegance, she walked towards Evie, the guards following close behind her.

Evie was completely starstruck as the woman gracefully approached her in a pale blue pantsuit with a tulle cape that followed her every move. She pulled a few loose strands of hair from her face, back into the braid sitting over her shoulder and stuck out her hand.

Evie quickly shook it, not expecting the firm handshake Elsa gave her.

"Hello, Miss Queen"

"Hello, your majesty," Evie said dipping into a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to be of your acquaintance"

"Thank you, and I must believe your ride was well?" She asked turning around, waving her hand for Evie to follow her. She walked almost in sync with the Queen, the royal guards moving along with the two.

"Yes, it was" Evie said, trying to stay calm and not completely freak out as the doors closed to the palace. She was inside, _and_ talking to the Queen of Arendelle.

They walked along the red carpet leading to a long hall of doors. Elsa continued to walk down the hall. Until she stopped at the 31st room, labeled _private_.

As she opened the door, a few of the guards stood outside of the room and the others came inside.

Once again, Evie tried hard to keep her gasp inaudible. The room was furnished with a sofa, a few lounge chairs, a table and along the walls were paintings of Arendelle and the Southern Isles. As she stood in awe, Elsa removed her cape, hanging it on the hook behind the door.

She took a seat on the sofa, asking one of the guards to bring in the tea. She frowned and smiled at Evie.

"Take a seat, Miss Queen. In this room, protocol does not exist" she said placing her arm on the back of sofa leaning into the cushions. She crossed her legs and smiled.

Evie took a seat, sitting up straight in the leather chair, despite the Queen's suggestion. She clapped her hands and smiled back.

"So, have you met with Hans yet?" Elsa began as Evie was caught off guard. She didn't expect her to ask that right off the bat

"I have. Yesterday, actually" Evie replied with a nod.

The guard returned with the tea and poured it into both of their cups.

"Evie, you can loosen up a little. I guess that was a bad question to begin with. I do know who you are just FYI. I read your file, courtesy of King Ben. Why I called you in wasn't just to meet you, it was to hear your story. To understand the conflict arising over the throne in the Southern Isles"

"Here's a little history: the Southern Isles was once ruled by Arendelle, but the original King Westergaard wanted his own region. Legally they are their own region, however Arendelle still provides agreement or disagreement to legislation and economic development. As the Queen of Arendelle, my duty is to serve my region, but also to see that the surrounding regions are thriving. In this case the Southern Isles is currently in peril regarding the throne. I want to hear what you have to say and what this means to you" Elsa explained.

Evie nodded her head with understanding. "I guess I should start where I got the idea to find my dad from. I had always wondered who my dad was. Sometimes it hurts, others it just felt like something that was nagging me. So I asked my boyfriend—"

Her voice suddenly cracked and she quickly apologized.

"—to help me. Ironically, my mother came to visit that same day and explained that Hans was my dad"

"Your boyfriend was supposed to be here, wasn't he? Touchy subject or he was just busy?" Elsa asked. "I am simply wondering because your voice cracked"

"That's a whole different story, but yes he was. I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you," Evie responded, her cheeks turning pink. Elsa nodded her head and gestured for Evie to continue.

"He found my birth certificate, but not the federal one that had my title on it. So, we decided to investigate by taking this trip. I wasn't expecting any of the bad press or people to be so rude"

"I can empathize with you," Elsa commented. "I remember when I took the throne and my anger and fear took my magic out of control. The entire region believed I was some kind of product of witchcraft. I was villainized and it hurt. I didn't mean to let my magic get out of control. My fear got in the way. Concealing everything I was and my powers was not the answer. I was trying to hide _myself from myself_. I never faced the issue"

"You're not going to please everyone. The Duke of Weselton still to this day despises my reign. But what attention do I give a man who finds negativity in everything?" Elsa scoffed.

"I didn't know he was this unpopular here too" Evie giggled as Elsa joined her.

"If I could, I'd give him a sentence to the Isle for his ill mentality, yet he has to be convicted of a crime. Despite trying to putting a bounty over me, back then that was overlooked since I saved the Kingdom"

"I guess that's fair. What exactly did you do? Did you think you could ever be Queen, even though the fact that the region saw you as a villain?

"Oh yes, all the time. In my ice castle, I continued to doubt myself, but I did find comfort in being alone. Sometimes you need time to ruminate. However, that wasn't the complete answer. I needed my sister because I undoubtedly love her more than the world. I needed to face my fear directly. Maybe this time alone may give you a little room to think for yourself what you want. Isolating yourself from the issue and expecting to go about life isn't possible. One day you're going to have to face the decision to take the throne. Face your father and either dismiss him or choose to embrace him into your life. I don't know about this boyfriend of yours, but you're going to have to face whatever tension is there"

Evie felt her hands begin to sweat. _She knew she was bound to face her problems, but how? Why couldn't these decisions just make themselves? _

"Thank you for sharing your story. I just, I came here to validate whether I am a princess or not. Now I am faced with choosing to be Queen. I want to, but everyone else thinks it's a recipe for disaster. I feel like everything has just collapsed onto my shoulders. Mirage's slanderous video really ruined my image" Evie said, disappointed. She looked up from her hands to face Elsa who smiled warmly.

"I know. That video was quite the scene. Let me guess, she altered it, right?" Elsa asked lifting up her tea cup and taking a sip. Evie nodded.

"I thought so. You've been turned into a villain against your will and I know a thing or two about that. Maybe try processing what your life would be like if you were to be Queen. In the meantime, I think I have a few solutions to rewrite your image" Elsa said standing up. She walked towards the corner of the room and grabbed a few papers out of the drawer. With a pen in her hand, she quickly wrote a few things down in curly calligraphy penmanship.

"First order of business is to meet with your father in a very friendly interaction in public. That will illustrate that the man seeming to be threatened by you in the video, charity event. Lastly, it would be good to give a public statement at the anniversary of the Southern Isles in a week. That'll give you time to rewrite your image and get a feel for the Islands"

Elsa set the pen down, handing Evie the monogrammed sheet of paper.

"Thank you," Evie said with a smile. She eyed the clock, the time already 11:30.

"Can I offer you lunch?" The Queen asked, surprising Evie.

"Oh! Thank you,"

With that the two of them requested lunch, the palace guards bringing a mobile cart of four courses. As they ate, Evie managed to loosen up around the Queen of Arendelle discussing Evie' Four Hearts and her life since the Isle.

Upon the end of their meeting, Evie thanked Elsa for the umpteenth time and climbed back into the diplomatic vehicle.

Laying her head on the window, she peered out to the landscape before her eyes. Smiling to herself replaying she and Elsa's conversation, there was a calming feeling through her body.

The conversation had opened up a little more of herself than she anticipated. Though she wasn't exactly upset over having to meet her dad, she still didn't like the idea. But then again, if it would truly help win the Southern Isles over, that was all that mattered, right?

It wasn't long before she arrived back at the hotel. Sending a wave the driver's way, she walked through the sliding doors and walked straight to the elevator. Pressing the up button, the doors opening as she met Alfred in the elevator.

"Hello. What floor?" He asked slightly sing-songy.

"Four"

"Alright. Floor four. Where is the partner?" He asked, his voice climbing an octave at the end of his question.

Evie's face reddened and she clasped her hands together. "He, uh, had to go back to work. Only a day vacation, you know" she awkwardly laughed, her smile falling at the sight of Alfred's blank stare.

"If I know, and I do know, you lovebirds disagreed." He nodded.

A smile crossed Evie's face with slight confusion in her eyes. "Yeah, that's right, but how did you know?"

"I could see it in your eyes and how you carry yourself. Even though something bothered you yesterday, you shifted his way unconsciously. Your hand hovered near his. Observation is key" Alfred said just as the elevator opened. She stepped out and turned to face him, only for the doors to close in her face. Facing the elevator, she frowned and walked to her hotel room.

_Is she really that obvious? _

Out of habit, she took out her phone pressing on her messages. Doug's name was at the top, with no new messages.

She blew out a little sigh, staring at Elsa 11.

"Is it possible to miss you already?" she whispered to herself. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, her brown eyes staring at the screen. Contemplating whether to type the message, she pressed the side of her phone, the screen going black. She closed her eyes, her mind racing as fast as her heart.

_You've really messed up, Evie. _


	16. Chapter XIV: Kos Og Mat pt 1

The following day, in respect to Elsa's plan, Evie sent her father a text message back. She agreed to meet with him at a well known restaurant, east of the main city.

She made sure to wear one of her best outfits, a royal blue sundress with a pair of royal blue sandals. On her way down the elevator, Alfred once again joined her.

"It was published in the paper today, you are publicly meeting with your father?" He questioned happily. Pushing the button to the main floor of the hotel.

Evie nodded, realizing Elsa was not kidding about changing her image since she published it in the morning paper!

The way down was quite short and Alfred wished her well. Leaving the elevator, she looked outside the window awaiting the sleek, black diplomatic car to pull up. The receptionist smiled warmly and offered her a seat while she waited. The group of people seated around the lobby table quickly moved away, before she could even decline a seat.

The receptionist looked on with sympathetic eyes.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. It should just be a minute." Evie lied, knowing that the diplomatic car wasn't due until 10:55, ten minutes from then.

As she awkwardly waited around the lobby, her phone pinged with messages. First in the group chat between the core four and then individual messages. They all read the same things. _What's up with you and Doug? Why is Doug back and you aren't? _

She shook her head not wanting to immediately reply as she knew that Jay would be ready to jump into action if he found out. Even despite the fact that most of the argument fell on her fault anyway. The pinging didn't stop on her phone, so she reluctantly responded.

Guys, we just had a disagreement. 

It's nothing serious. I'm about to go to lunch. 

Evie turned her phone on 'do not disturb' hoping that would keep her from having to think about her relationship for a while.

But it didn't.

It seemed like anything she tried to think of, from the roses in the lobby (it made her remember the blue roses he got her for graduation) to her business (he still happened to be her accountant), all had one thing in common. Doug.

So in spite of that, she picked up a magazine on the receptionists desk. There had to be something in the book that had nothing to do with him. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed a web flow chart.

As she flipped the magazine to be vertical, she realized that this was a flow chart of the Royal Family that marked everyone in line for the throne, taking into account all of those who were now deceased.

Evie observed the chart and found e of her father's brothers marked deceased and two of them marked as abdicants of the throne. Her father was marked as inept to the throne. Under her father's name was her step-sister, Princess Hana Westergaard with an abdicated marking under her name. Next to Hana was a question mark with heiress to the throne. That was indeed Evie.

But oddly enough, next to her father was Mirage, Duchess of Osloway. In utter confusion, Evie cocked her head at the chart. Under her name read second to the throne. That wasn't possible. There were a number of children under her father's deceased brother's names that should rightfully have the throne. It only went to Hans because he was still alive. Then it should go to the children of his other brothers. Not Mirage.

Even so, to the left of Mirage's name was the Duke of Weselton who was listed as fifth to the throne. Evie's brows contracted and she ripped the flow chart out of the magazine.

A woman who moved out of the way when Evie hadn't even sat near her, looked up, stuttering over her words. "Um, I'm afraid you can't do that," she said quietly.

Evie sighed. "This is my family in this magazine. My family is corrupt. I'll replace it, of course. But I kind of need it."

The woman simply nodded her head, quickly looking away.

Soon, the diplomatic car taking Evie to lunch, pulled up to the entryway. Folding up the flow chart and stuffing it into her crossbody purse, she went out to the car. The driver got out and opened the door for her.

Sliding into the back seat, she took out the flowchart to examine it once again.

_Clearly, the Southern Isles monarchy is flawed. And she would be the one to fix it. But did she even want to be the one to fix it? _

Ruminating on her thoughts, the last conversation she had with Doug seeped into her memory. He had advised her that her dreams had always been to be a designer and live a more quiet life with those who were special to her.

_But why had things taken such a turn?_

Before she knew it, she arrived at her destination. The eatery was a three story building, painted a pale yellow, located on a busy corner. As the driver stopped at the sidewalk, pedestrians and bikes came to a halt, and Evie noticed the Southern Isle News Station grounded at the entrance.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the massive amount of attention looming over her, Evie began to fret. Sympathizing with her best friend who most definitely endured this everyday as almost Queen Consort, Evie unconsciously realized that she'd never want to deal with this sort of attention for the rest of her life.

Her driver got out of the car and opened her door. Stepping out, her wedge sandals landing on the cobblestone road, she pulled loose strands of hair behind her ear.

As the rest of her body made its way out of the car, Evie blinked and covered her face at the flashing lights. The cameras in her face, clicking annoyingly loud and the reporters attempting to edge in every question made Evie's heart pound. She could barely see where she was going with all of the people surrounding her.

Her fearful driver awkwardly stood next to the car, but when questions were thrown at him, he got back inside the vehicle, leaving her to the ruthless reporters.

Just as she wanted to find someone to help, Evie felt a warm hand around her arm. She looked to her right and couldn't help the disbelief in her eyes. She was suddenly surrounded by five men and women in black, their eyes hidden by dark glasses

She looked up to notice her father with his hand around her arm. With his head down, he followed the bodyguards toward the restaurant, Evie following along with him. She tried to look to her father, his eyes avoiding hers. They had almost made it inside "Kos og Mat," when a reporter asked how he had managed to forget about his daughter.

Hans turned around, despite his bodyguards repeatedly asking him to ignore the question.

"I didn't forget my daughter. I was embarrassed, so I ignored my thoughts about her. I know how much of a mistake I've made now," he said.

Evie kept her face toward the inside of the restaurant. As Hans asked for no more questions, he turned to where Evie was facing and followed her inside.

She said no words to him.

The receptionist at the front led them to a booth near a window. Already understanding why, Evie sighed to herself. She knew how much this would improve her image in the Southern Isles, but it felt like an invasion of her privacy.

She sat down and he followed suit. The receptionist handed them two menus. Hans flipped through the menu, trying to find something to distract him from the words he just said.

Clasping her hands under her chin, Evie resorted to looking at the wildflowers outside of the restaurant that grew in the cracks of the cobblestone. She turned her head and glanced at Hans who looked up at the same moment.

"Thanks."


	17. Chapter XIV: Kos Og May pt 2

He nodded his head and put down his menu. "You're welcome, Evie. I don't know where to start," he admitted with a chuckle trying to ease the tension at the booth.

Evie smiled and looked to the wildflowers outside of the window once again. "You mentioned just a minute ago that you believed it was a mistake to forget about me. Why?"

Hand cleared his throat. "I realized that you aren't who I thought. I didn't think that the little girl I abandoned would grow up to be you. Seeing how much it hurt you to know I abandoned you, evoked a feeling of regret that I hadn't felt in a long time. A rocky start, indeed, but I understand your distance" He said with a nod of his head. "I hoped we could meet today so I could get to know my own descendant better. I know the whole Mirage thing threw you off."

Evie processed the words through her mind as they entered her ears. She never imagined her father, of whom she didn't know of until a few months ago, would want to actually get to know her.

"You are welcome to ask me anything," Evie responded, trying to hide the happiness she felt inside.

Right before Hans began, their waiter came back and asked for their orders, placing glasses on their table, followed by silverware wrapped in cloths. Evie ordered a familiar pasta, while Hans chose the Southern Isles national dish, a seafood and pasta bake.

Going back to their conversation, Evie sipped her water.

"Is your favorite color blue because your mom wore it or your hair?" Hans asked, prompting a giggle from Evie.

She nodded her head. "Probably both. That's all she used to dress me in and I got used to it. My friends used to call me a blueberry."

Hans replied with a smile. "Your friends? Mal, Jay and Carlos, right?"

"Yes, and a few old friends from high school," Evie answered.

"I know you have a boutique, I heard that from Grimhilde, but I didn't get the whole scoop."

They both laughed a bit, the awkward tension easing up. From her obsession with fashion to her academic excellence and her interest in science, Evie tried her best to explain herself to him. The conversation moved along nicely as they eventually got their entrees.

However, as they were just about to order a dessert, they hit the topics Evie was avoiding.

"So, the dude? Doug, was it?" Hans brought up, watching her face lose it's smile.

"We've been friends since sophomore year and only recently became official," Evie said her voice uneven, bits of her sentence quieter than others.

"I see. What happened, then? Was he here for a day or two?"

Evie reluctantly shook her head and sighed. "No, we had a little disagreement about the throne. Long story short, we're not talking right now. He went back home because I suggested he do so. I don't know what's been up with me, but lately I haven't been myself."

Hans sipped his water. Placing his glass to the side, he sat back in the booth. "That's the doing of the throne. It happens to everyone in this position. And disagreement is only natural between a couple. But the problem you have lies in a conflicted mind. Your struggle is leading to the aggravation of other aspects of your life. There is something about potential power that changes people."

"I don't want to sound as if I am trying to steer you away from the throne, but I would advise it"."

Evie frowned, a sudden tug in her heart, spitting anger. "You really want the Southern Isles to go to Mirage?! She'll destroy the nation!"

"Precisely," Hans said sitting back, watching a frown form on Evie's face. "Her reign will show exactly why the Isles needs to reunite with Arendelle."

"But why? The family image will be ruined." Evie said.

"Well, for one, my image has been tainted since I was 18. And secondly, at this point, I see that the Isles will thrive better under that of Queen Elsa. Corrupt people create a corrupt nation."

Looking straight at her dad, she cocked her head."I'm confused. Very confused. Why don't you want the reign to go to anyone with direct relation to you?"

With the clearing of his throat, Hans looked at his empty plate of what was once raspberry tiramisu. "Because I don't want anyone getting into the mess I got myself into. Yes, you may be royal by birth, but it's not a fairytale like it is cracked up to be. It eats away at everything. Things happen after the storybooks end. Your step-sister, Snow White almost gave up the throne until Florian picked up more duties. I bet your friends Mal and King Ben understand."

"I'll think about it," Evie commented simply. "So my other step-sister Hana, who's her mother?" She asked her voice becoming lighter.

"Hana's mom is just an old friend. We got married and then there was Hana. Irreconcilable differences led to a separation when she was two. Hana is a sweet kid, just doesn't like the idea of you. Thought you were stealing me. She had no idea about Mirage either," Hans explained. Evie nodded.

"I guessed that she was uneasy about me. Since we're on the topic, I did find a chart in a magazine. It shows the line of the throne," Evie said pulling out the paper from her purse. Unfolding it, she slid it across the booth.

"Shouldn't the line of succession include my first cousins and not Mirage?" She asked, pointing to the jump in numbers ranking who was in line. Hans chuckled and examined the chart.

"Technically. By the Royal Decree made when my great-great grandfather formed the Isles, it should take that route. But, the decree may have been changed. To be honest Evie, I don't even know half the people listed here. We don't have family reunions and I'm not involved in anything related to the throne whatsoever. I only met with the council of the Isles because my brother and his family passed."

"Really?" She asked in disbelief, eying how many people were listed on the sheet. She assumed that it was similar to how Doug barely knew of anyone after his uncles.

Hans nodded his head. As the server made his way back to their table, Hans took the bill. "I'll cover it," he said regarding Evie's hand that went to her wallet in her purse.

"Thank you," She said.

"Of course. What kind of dad makes his daughter pay?" He chuckled, Evie giggling too. After he paid the tab and tipped the server, they stood up and left the restaurant, finding themselves bombarded by the array of reporters still outside after two hours. Shielding her eyes from the flashing and the purple surrounding her, Hans and his bodyguards led her away to the black SUV waiting for them. The body guards opened the door and the two of them got in.

"Edward, The Grand Hotel, please," Hans said as the man nodded. Opening the compartment between their seats, he handed Evie blue raspberry rock candy, grabbing one for himself.

"How'd you know this was my favorite?" Evie asked putting a piece in her mouth, wincing at the popping and sourness.

Hans chuckled. "I might have asked a friend or two. However, it makes sense. You love all things blue and your boyfriend's family is in the jewel mining industry. An easy guess."

Catching Evie off guard she nearly choked on her candy. "What?"

"You didn't expect me to put the pieces together?"

"No—I—yes."

"If you're worried about your mother finding out, she doesn't know and I certainly won't tell her."

A look of relief washed over her face as she sunk into the black leather of the seat. Closing her eyes for a moment, a small smile emerged on her face. Her dad was quite investigative. Or maybe he really wanted to know the daughter he left in the dust 21 years ago. This was a strange turn of events, no doubt, but Evie wouldn't have it any other way.

Conversing with her dad had begun to fill the hole in her heart that she initially had been looking for. The hole that started her on this journey in the first place.

Doug had been right. The whole 'royalty thing' was going to her head. The things she truly wanted the most, had been right in front of her.


	18. Chapter XV: Westergaard Worries

"I told you so."

Evie collapsed her head on the pillow as she glanced back at the screen. The rest of the core four faced her, Mal shaking her head.

"I get that now, Carlos," Evie groaned to Carlos who hadn't been surprised by her revelation. After arriving back at her hotel and giving her father a very quick, but nice hug, she went up to her suite and flopped in the bed.

And after a warm shower, she settled in for the rest of the day and three-way called her friends. For the past few minutes, she had been avoiding the subject of Doug, trying to keep the conversation on being Queen and her father.

"Okay, besides the point that you realize that you may not want the throne, how was the dad talk?" Mal asked setting aside a bulging manila file of assumably her assignments for the month.

Getting a slight sick feeling to her stomach, thinking about how much Mal had to put up with as almost Queen consort, she was almost sure she didn't want the title. But there was still a pesky part of her consciousness, telling her that it was all she ever dreamed of. That the title she'd obtain would change everything. Coming out of her thoughts, she faced the camera.

"It was actually a lot better than I thought. I can't believe that my dad wanted to get to know me. To find out who I became. It made me feel something very special," Evie said, trying to hide the beaming smile inching its way across her lips.

Jay looked into the camera and smiled. "Hey, that's awesome. Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like with my mom around. But then I realize that I kind of want nothing to do with my parents. According to Aziz, Aladdin actually worked with my mom on the streets before she and my dad met. She was just like my dad so I guess I'll pass."

"That's what I used to think. I thought my dad was just someone who left my mother and went on to start a new family. But I never thought that one of the missing pieces of my heart belonged to him," Evie said, Mal nodding her head in agreement. She looked at the camera with a smile on her face.

"I actually felt the same way, Evie. I didn't think Hades was really someone I'd ever miss, despite never meeting him. C, do you wonder about your dad?"

With a shake of his head, he chuckled "Not anymore. I kind of grew up with Horace and Jasper as father figures. I mean I'm sure one of them is my dad, but I guess it stopped crossing my mind. I'd rather not know. It would just open up another part of me that didn't need fixing."

"It's interesting you said that. Hans actually rough up that he wants to see the Southern Isles become a part of Arendelle again. He said it's not worth keeping it independent when it needs so much fixing," Evie revealed, Mal's eyes widening.

The screen went black for a moment before she appeared again. "Sorry, guys, but the Duke just sent in a request to oppose any changes to the economy or government of the Southern Isles. Ben and I were confused by his sudden request, but it seemingly aligns with Hans's agenda. Let me guess, your dad must have mentioned it at the council meetings regarding who will take the reign?"

Evie nodded her head, concerned for the address sent by the Duke. Jay chuckled, clearly amused by the Duke of Weselton's actions.

"This Duke of Weasel-town is that persistent about being king? If I were you, Evie, I'd take the Queenship to avoid that guy's complete and utter failure at ruling over a million people."

"Actually, that was Hans' point. To give the throne to Mirage and technically the Duke since they are working together. That leaves a collapsing government for the people to speak upon and decide to overthrow," Evie replied.

"It could work. It's just a little unstable. For the state the nation is already in, that would hurt the Isles to rejoin Arendelle and they'd have to pay off millions of dollars in debt" Mal said, her eyes focused on another paper off to her right. Ben came into sight and sat on the left of her. He sent a wave to the others.

"Hey, everybody. I had a quick question, Evie. Sorry to interrupt, but I saw Doug back—"

Before Ben could even finish, Jay, Carlos, and Mal all sighed. Clearly, by her avoidance of the subject, they got the gist she didn't want to talk about it.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Ben. My top priority right now is deciding whether or not to take the Queenship," Evie replied, Ben's eyebrows contracting.

"Oh. Really? I personally wouldn't recommend it, but whatever suits your desires. I was asking because Doug had mentioned that he was having ill feelings about Mirage and Hans. I thought he was planning to investigate more" Ben said, crossing his arms. "I mean I don't blame him. The Southern Isles has always been a little rocky."

"I can't agree more," Mal said leaning into Ben's shoulder as he sat next to her.

"Did you try to listen to Doug's point of view? From what I know, the guy can understand people and smell suspiciousness from meters away," Carlos commented, with a chuckle.

"He's my dad, guys. Do you really think he'd try to hurt me? I'm sure he's changed, just like mummy," Evie said. "Mirage is totally not credible, and neither is the Duke. But I really think my dad is being genuine."

Mal looked to Ben who seemed a bit uneasy. Carlos and Jay simply nodded their heads, Carlos clearly still skeptical.

"Hey, I don't want you to get hurt if Hans ends up being a rat. Just because Elsa pardoned him to the Southern Isles with the rest of the sidekicks, doesn't mean that he truly turned good. Your mom went through the Villain Rehabilitation Programme. Of course, she's going to be less evil. But Hans? The dude remarkably pulled off deceiving Anna," Carlos reasoned.

"You guys don't even know him," Evie argued, visibly changing her demeanor. Mal frowned at her close friend.

"Neither do you," Mal said, watching the blue-haired woman's face drop suddenly. With utter shock, Evie looked away. "E, I know you want civil relationships with your parents, but don't you think everything is kind of going too fast? Especially with your dad. I understand, but it seems a little strange that suddenly he's so open to being 'dad' to you. After a whopping 21 years."

Thinking for a moment before replying, Evie considered her best friend's words. Was he really just leading her on, or was he genuine? He seemed genuine, but with Mal and Doug's considerations, he seemed a little out of character. Her father wasn't a villain anymore. He even knew her favorite candy. How could he have known that, if he wasn't trying to get to know her?

"I disagree. My dad really wants to know me. He said he was too embarrassed to say anything. Plus, why would he be doing all of this to hurt me? What does he want from me? I'm sure you guys are just jumping to conclusions" Evie reasoned. She watched her friend visibly give up trying to change her mind, though Jay suddenly cleared his throat.

Evie knew exactly what was coming. Often, if Jay knew he was right, he would try to get his point across, playing the role of the wise big brother. "Evie Queen—Westergaard, whatever. This dude was dead to you just a day or two ago. Now you're throwing all your trust in him? You even sent Doug—DOUG—the unconscious body you sang to, the guy you've cried over. You sent him away because he had his doubts about Hans."

With a grumble, Evie turned her head from the camera. "My dad said that almost being Queen is going to my head, so of course I've been a little out of it. But he asked for it! I mean he imposed on my trip!"

Ben shifted in his seat, unsettled by what he was watching. Though not very close to Evie, he knew that she fancied Doug like nobody's business. He made a mental note to text his best friend later and check on his investigation.

Even though he hadn't been very involved in the search for Evie's familial past, he had a pretty bad feeling about where this was going. As King of all of Auradon, he was often informed on the happenings of every region. The Southern Isles, in particular, had always been a developing region compared to the rest.

He also hadn't quite told the entire truth when it came to Doug's inquiries about Mirage and Hans. Mirage, in particular, had been on the suspicious activity radar for the past decade, only recently popping up with several reported suspicious activities. Hans, on the other hand, had managed to have been connected to a few of these reports, that happened to be in the same location as Mirage.

That's where things started to get fishy. He had informed Mal of his findings, her advising him not to tell Doug or Evie while they were in the Isles. But maybe he should have gone with his gut. By now, it was too late. Evie now trusted Hans, and wouldn't be persuaded otherwise.

Looking to his fiancé and exchanging glances Ben sighed. "Evie, believe us when we're expressing our doubts. I didn't tell Doug the whole truth. Mirage had actually been on the suspicious radar for the last decade. And Hans—he's not quite who you thought either."


	19. Chapter XVI: The Disloyal Royal

Listening to Ben's words, with every moment that passed, Evie became more and more outraged.

"Nobody thought to tell me that my dad is still a criminal?!" She asked.

Ben sighed. "He's not a criminal, Evie. He's just not the most honest guy. We didn't want to hurt you but we didn't think you'd take it this far."

"You guys let me go down a rabbit hole of deception? If it's even true that's he's not who I thought, he's still my dad. Would he really hurt me?" Evie retorted.

Mal sighed and rested her hand under her chin. "Family may be family. However, sometimes it's better to let things be. Despite your blood relation, that ultimately doesn't mean a thing. Yes, he's your dad, but what good is going to do for you?"

"Evie. Maybe you should calm down and see us through," Carlos said. "Call Doug and see what he thinks."

Evie groaned and felt her heart beating rapidly. Maybe this is a sign I don't need anything to do with the Isles, she thought just as a buzzing noise in her ear caught her attention. "Hey, do you guys hear anything weird?"

She clasped her hand over her ear and winced.

"No. Nothing" They replied.

"You think there's a bug in your ear? Like a tech one?" Carlos asked, his voice more concerned than before as he grabbed his laptop and flipped it open.

"Has Mirage or Hans done anything weird lately? Especially Mirage?" Carlos asked.

"I don't think so. I signed a few security papers at the airport to meet with Hans. His daughter shooed me out of their house and Mirage recorded me in the painting. But that's all I know"

Mal and Ben looked at each other. "Perhaps Doug knows. Was there any embrace between you and your dad or Mirage?" Ben inquired as he took out his phone to text his friend. Though he planned to ask his best friend later about his findings, the Southern Isles situation had already escalated.

"Yeah. I hugged my dad before I came up here. Why?" She asked, a lightbulb lighting up in her mind. "You think he—"

"It's only a possibility," Carlos said typing into his laptop. "I went into the database of suspicious activity and it looks as if Mirage had been participating in illegal schemes. Embezzling, wiretapping, the works"

Ben frowned on the screen. "Carlos, how'd you get into the database?" He asked confused.

"That's kinda not important right now, don't you think?" The salt-and-pepper haired boy answered, looking back at his computer.

Ben shrugged. "I guess not, but the security code is really that easy to hack?"

"Yeah. The password to everything was the same, super long word" Carlos chuckled, crossing his arms against his chest, leaning back in his chair.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," Jay laughed. He looked to the screen and Carlos turned beet red. "Oh." The others turned back to their screens toward Evie who clearly wasn't happy.

"You guys think my dad slipped a device in my purse?" Evie asked, her voice breaking. She tried her very best to hide the hurt in her voice, but it was as evident as the tears forming in her eyes.

As she still felt the buzzing in her ear, she got off her bed and went to her purse. The bag was open just as she had left it and she dumped out the contents. Finding a tiny black device with a green light blinking, she threw it on the hardwood floor. Her friends called her name as she took her wedged heels and smashed the piece into bits. With a crackle, the green light was gone and the device sizzled.

"Doug was right, huh?" Evie said her voice shaking with a bit of reluctant laughter. She appeared on the screen again and smiled at her friends. Her smile, as sad as her eyes glinting with tears.

"I guess so," Jay said with a sigh. "I can't believe your dad did this to you. Such a rotten guy"

"Tell me about it. I'm a little worried to find out how else he was planning to use me. And for what?" She said placing her hands on her cheeks to hide the faint tears. Her friends nodded, not sure how else to help her. She was hurt and vulnerable, but what could they do except encourage her through their devices?

As the other VKs and Ben attempted to change the subject, just then, Evie's phone vibrated. A message dropped down at the top of the screen. It was from a sender she hadn't heard from since the morning. The message, obviously sent to her by accident, read details of what Hans and Mirage were really up to.

Mirage, we lost the device's signal. 

Should I get her to come down so I can plant a new one? 

You know, this feels kind of weird, don't you think? 

I guess the throne will be ours soon. 

Evie read the message over and over, staring at screen. Her friends called her name, noticing that her image had been paused.

She returned to the chat, completely out of it.

"What happened, E?" Mal asked as Evie simply let the tears flow from her eyes.

"I'll—I'll send you guys—I'll send the screenshot. But I need to call Doug," she said through her tears that gradually turned to sobs. Within a moment, the others barely getting to say goodbye, she hung up.

"He knew it," Evie whispered to herself as she wiped her tears with the backs of her hands. "He knew it."

Dialing her boyfriend's number, she waited as it rang and rang and rang. _You should have known,_ she thought to herself.

At the last ring, she got an answer. With a simple hello, he answered. To hear his voice again, reminded Evie of the mistake she had made to let him go away.

"Evie?" He asked, hearing nothing but sobs. "Evie! Are you okay?"

"No. You were right. It was all a lie. Mirage, Hans and Hana" she said, her voice barely audible. She sniffled, trying to control her flowing tears but it was no use. "Doug, please help me. I'm so sorry."

The line was flat as all she heard was the shuffling of papers. "I know. I'm sorry too. But what's more important is that you're okay."

"What should I do? I ruined the device and now I want to go home. I'm humiliated and just confused."

"I knew everything had been too good to be true. The device? He wiretapped you?"

"Yeah. He and Mirage did. He did all this so I would leave the Isles and wouldn't take the throne. They sabotaged my visit. I can't believe I was letting my sudden feelings guide me. Got a plan?" Evie said, her tears starting to let up. She sniffled and got up to grab a tissue for her nose.

The line was silent as she assumed he had been thinking.

"I guess we'll just have to be a step ahead, then," Doug suggested.

"How?"

"They want you out, so we'll give them what they want. But not before destroying the nation first."

Evie frowned and raised a brow, though Doug couldn't see her through the audio call. "Huh?"

"We have the leverage here," he said his voice sounding that he was seemingly bemused. "We'll give them what they want, while you still hold them accountable for their actions. Clear out your hotel room before they try anything else. Meet up with Elsa and explain everything. Then I'll conference call you both. Okay?"

Evie's heart skipped a beat thinking of his immediate construction of a plan. With a smile through her tears, she agreed.

"Okay. Can you stay on the line a little longer?" Evie asked. She was met with a chuckle.

"Of course."

Finding a calm level of breathing, she wiped her face with a few tissues and got out of bed. Still hearing his voice and his breathing, Evie was glad he hadn't written her off. But then again, why would he?

After changing into more suitable outside wear, she packed up her suitcase and turned out the lights. Remarkably, she left her hotel room in a mere fifteen minutes. Dumping the remnants of the device into the garbage, she took her tote and wheeled the luggage outside the room.

Still on the phone, she locked the door and went toward the elevator. "I'm about to get on the elevator. Thank you for sticking with me on the phone," she said softly. "Are you sure you're not still upset with me. I know I was in the wrong and I'm truly sorry. I should've listened to you. This whole trip has been a disaster—"

Interrupting, Doug softly shushed her. "It's okay. I understand why you said and did what you did. Things spiral out of control when you're in the heat of the moment. I should have been a little more sympathetic as you wanted to know your dad. Either way, we can't redo the past."

Smiling as she waited for the elevator, when it opened, Alfred was waiting inside. "Ms. Westergaard," he said as Evie stepped inside.

She nodded her head in acknowledgment to him, before she returned to her conversation.

"Okay. I—love you," she whispered hoping Alfred wouldn't hear but that was unlikely in the small space. Red rose to the surface of her cheeks. Alfred looked away, letting her have some privacy, though he did glance over one or twice.

Doug replied with the same words and she hung up. Evie turned off her cell phone and slipped it into her tote.

"Going home?" He asked as she nodded.

"Soon. I found out that my father isn't who I thought," Evie sighed. Alfred smiled kindly and nodded his head.

"That must be a bummer," he said with his usual sing-songy tone. "The boyfriend?"

Evie looked up and blushed once again. "Yeah, we kind of made up."

"Good. Well, I wish you the best, Ms. Westergaard. Nice to be of your acquaintance" he said as the door opened. She pulled her things along and gave him a wave, but stopped in her tracks. Turning back, she smiled.

"Queen not Westergaard, please," She said. He gave her a wink.

"Good choice."

The elevator door closed. Turning to the rest of the lobby, Evie had to chuckle. Alfred had been quite the doorman.

Giving the receptionist her key card to check out, she awaited the diplomatic car that was sent by her a few minutes ago.

The receptionist happily helped her and gave her a complimentary free stay at the hotel. Thanking the woman, she knew she'd have to give it away. She wasn't planning on coming back to the Southern Isles.

_Ever_.

Once the car showed up in the front entrance, Evie directed the driver to the Southern Isles Estate where she had met with Elsa once before. She called the woman who to her surprise was more than willing to allow Evie to stay for the evening.

When she arrived, the same ensemble was performed as Evie followed Elsa and her guards into the large building. Going into the private room, Evie took a seat across from Elsa and explained everything, from her dinner chat with her dad to the destroying of the wired bug.

"I'm sorry," the Queen of Arendelle said, taking a quick sip of her tea. "I'm very sorry, Evie. I'm afraid I do not have many options for you. I can file a crime report of Hans if you still have the evidence. And for you, I could get a private jet to fly you home." She suggested.

Evie shook her head. "I threw out the device, but I still have the text message and my boyfriend actually formulated a plan"

"Oh, really? So now the boyfriend is back in the picture?" Elsa asked with a slight smirk, causing Evie to look down and shyly smile.

"Well, yes. He suggested that we conference call him," Evie said pulling out her phone. Elsa summoned a guard to plug Evie's phone into the television that was across the fireplace in the small room. They both turned to the left to view the screen.

Popping up on the screen, Evie waved to Doug. It had been too long since she'd seen him, she thought. It was then when she also vowed to never go the silent treatment route again.

"Madame Elsa, my pleasure to be in your presence," Doug said lowering his head. Elsa nodded and waved him off.

"It's fine. No need for the show," she laughed. "In this room, my guests and I are very chill. I am told you have a plan to help out your Evie?"

Doug nodded. "I do. It's fairly simple. If we can get Evie to be crowned today, which I researched is plenty legal in the Isles, she will be able to take the throne, implement the joining of Arendelle and the Isles, and lastly abdicate within 24 hours. With it being 5 in the evening, she'd abdicate at 5 tomorrow before the flight"

Elsa's eyes widened just as much as Evie's. The two women looked at each other before looking back to the screen.

"Well, looks like we have a genius before us," Elsa said. "I'll grab the papers then"

"Wait," Evie said, stopping Elsa from getting up. She looked to her boyfriend, her eyes concerned. "You're sure this will work?"

"Since it's a loophole, it may be a little iffy. But," he began. He found her eyes and stared sincerity straight into them. "I promise it will. I know it."

Elsa looked at the two and hid the smile she felt coming across her face. Breaking out of their stare, Evie returned to Elsa and Doug turned his attention back to the Queen, now embarrassed.

"Well then. If there are no longer any concerns, I will go find the paperwork. I'll be right back. Oh, and I'll send for my speech writer," she said as two guards followed her to the door and left with her.

"This is going to work just great, Evie. Do you want me to fly in?" He asked, tending to things on his desk, trying not to get lost in her eyes again.

"Um, you don't have to. I mean I wouldn't want you to miss out on work or have to waste money on a flight," Evie said even though she wanted him to fly in.

Doug nodded, making note to look for last minute flights anyway "I'll be here all night if you need anything."

"Alright," Evie said. She gave him a small wave and he smiled at her, hanging up the call.

Glad things were still turning around, Evie was positive she was never going to speak to her father again. Still in a little shock over the betrayal and dishonesty, Evie regretted putting her agenda to meet him and get a title over the things that mattered.

As she awaited Elsa and the speech writer, she sent the screenshot to her friends and wrote a message of the plan. Receiving responses almost in a split second, she felt the warmth from her conversation earlier with Doug return.

They truly cared about her. Mal, Carlos, Jay, Jane, Lonnie, Ben and Doug were her chosen family and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	20. Chapter XVII: The Heiress is History

The following morning, Elsa had submitted her crime report. Despite throwing the bug away, after contacting Alfred at the hotel, he was able to recover the pieces of the device. One of Elsa's palace guards drove to retrieve it and placed it in a plastic bag. They printed the text message and sent all of their items to the Auradon Federal Bureau of Investigation, also known as the AFBI.

Much to Evie and Elsa's pleasure, in the matter of hours, the AFBI held Mirage and Hans under investigation, finding more evidence to prove Evie's case. Since they still had to be held to a fair trial, things were going to be slow before she saw anytime of physical compensation. On the emotional side, things were going to take just as long to heal.

After such a long trip that remarkably was only a week, Evie was glad to be going home. Soon everything that happened would be left in the Southern Isles. Everything including the piece of her heart that inevitably belonged to her father. She had been distancing herself from thinking of the fact that she wanted her father to pay the consequences of his actions. Yet, it was still hard to believe that the same man she trusted at Kos Og Mat, was the same man who took advantage of her.

In the meantime, before she could even leave the Isles, there was still one thing left to do.

Standing before the majority of the nation, was something Evie found would be difficult. Because of the short time constraint and her friend's increasingly busy lifestyles, none of them were able to come and support her at the anniversary of Southern Isles. She was to take part of Elsa's address time frame to make her announcement of whether she chose to be Queen or not.

"Evie, you're going to be just fine" she whispered to herself a she stood backstage hearing the crowds of people arrive. Music blasted from the booth on stage. She felt her hands shaking and her legs turn to jelly.

She took out the sheet of paper with her speech written on it and she nervously smiled. Staring at the paper, carefully written with help of Elsa's speech writers, she realized it wasn't her. If anything since coming to Auradon, she learned that she should speak from the heart. And her speech wasn't that at all.

Without hesitation, she crumpled it and threw it in a waste basket. Immediately regreting her action, Evie looked to the speech ball, her nerves exploding at this point.

Silently wishing she hadn't told Doug he didn't need to come out to the the Isles, she hoped he hadn't listened to her. She knew he would probably catch a flight to her no matter the cost. One, because he definitely had the funds, but secondly and most of all, because he loved her.

The previous day, he told her he wasn't upset with her. It was evident that he would never stop loving her. That's what made their connection true, besides their names written together in the stars. It was simply because neither of them could stop loving the other.

It eased her mind to think of Doug and really anything, as long as she wasn't thinking of the speech and having to face the entire Isles that opposed her. In addition to rising before her father and his cousin, who clearly should never have been liberated from the Isle of the Lost.

It hurt her to see how terrible the table had turned. That's why she had been influenced to make the decision she did. That was another thing Doug had lead her to. He constructed a plan for her to approach the throne in the best way, without falling to the plan of Mirage and Hans.

And once again, she couldn't thank him enough for it.

"Auradon, I hope he shows up," Evie said, pulling out her phone from her red sundress pocket and looking at his message thread. The last thing read _good night & miss you_. A tiny smile curved onto her lips and she took in a deep breath. Whatever was to happen, however they would take it, Doug and her friends would be right by her side.

Unlike her father, she knew what mattered most.

"Evie?" She heard the voice of Elsa as she walked up in a pale blue pantsuit and a crown sitting on her head much like Evie's tiara. "Only a few minutes. You're going to do great"

"Thank you," She said politely with a curtesy. The Queen of Ice followed her bodyguards down the back hall and sent a wave to the blue-haired girl.

As her nerves returned, Evie heard the MC give an opening as the massive crowd cheered. She peeked out the curtains and felt a churn in her stomach, regretting choosing not to eat a blueberry muffin. She paced around in a circle, awaiting the moment she was going to destroy a nation. A hand touched her shoulder and she suddenly turned around.

The stage hand pointed to the front. "You're on."

She exhaled a breath and walked to the opening in the curtain. Her entire rehearsed speech left her brain and she saw every pair of eyes in the audience staring back at her.

Evie came to the mic, the MC smiling as he stepped aside.

She held the microphone and looked around. "Hello all. By law my name is Genevieve Westergaard. I am the eldest child of Prince Hans Westergaard. I am first in line for the throne," she began as the audience booed. A lump grew in her throat.

It took a moment before she remembered her roots. Though she felt tears brimming her eyes, she swallowed the urge. If there was one thing besides beauty and materialistic love that her mother taught her, it had been to never show your vulnerability. In her words, "Queens never let their nation see them cry. The people may oppose you, but you will not succumb to their ignorance."

She instead felt the courage to smile. "I have decided my course of action. But before I give my decision, I have some words."

Evie found Elsa's eyes as they spoke of her proudness. She nodded her head, telling Evie to continue.

"As a guest to your nation, I am highly disgusted by your treatment of me. I find it terrible that you are willing to find me as a villian, despite having no record of such crimes. King Ben has pardoned my own wrongs doings from the Isle of the Lost when I chose good."

"What baffles me is your trust in my father and cousins—the corrupt government you pledge to each and every day,"

"I am following my heart and my brain, which communicate the same thing," she said, looking around the audience who were silent. They looked to each other, disturbed by her words.

"I will take the throne. I have chosen to be your Queen," Evie said, her voice confident. A smile crossed her face as Elsa smiled back. She saw a few audience members gasp and that's when the shouting began. A few elder citizens nearly fainted as the crowd was shocked with utter disbelief.

"And legally, by the power vested in Queen Elsa, I took my oath yesterday. As your Queen, I would like to give my first proclamation. That is," she said as fear was emitted through the audience. They watched her with stunned looks on their faces. "I would like for the Southern Isles to merge into Arendelle once more. The order has been processed and it will go through at midnight tonight under the oversight of Queen Elsa."

Her nerves came back as she realized she was completely destroying an entire nation, but she knew it was only right. "Lastly," She said her voice shaking. "I would like to announce my abdication. I cannot abdicate the throne until 24 hours after being crowned Queen. Therefore, in affect at 5:46 this afternoon, I will no longer serve as your ruler."

The entire crowd of more than 50,000 people were quiet. Not a word was uttered. But just as she was about to say her final words, she heard a familiar voice cheer. The only one clapping. Dressed in dress pants, a pale green sweater vest, white button up and round glasses, Doug was the only one standing.

Elsa looked over and smiled. She clapped along with him. Evie's cheeks turned rosy and she was overwhelmed with a feeling that everything was okay.

"In closing, I want to thank you all for allowing the opportunity to come into your region. The lack of hospitality and friendliness here is ridiculous. I will gladly spread the word of this behavior to those I know, as a friend of _His Royal Highness, King Ben._"

Stepping back from the microphone, before her eyes she saw the crowd filled with anger. Some citizens approached the stage, only for security to fill in for support. Chanting for their opposition to Evie, she fled the stage at the hands of two of Elsa's bodyguards. Taking her to the back of the stage, the curtain drawing, she didn't realize her heart had been beating as much as it was. She stopped to catch her breath.

A blur of pale blue passed her as Elsa gave a few words of encouragement behind practically a cage of bodyguards. Evie looked up and thanked her.

Still trying to process what had just happened, she looked around waiting for directions, but it turned out she had been facing the wrong direction when a hand reached to her shoulder.

"Doug!" Evie said completely overjoyed. She nearly crushed the organs out his body as she hugged him. Leaning her head close to his chest, she felt his arms limply curve around her abdomen. Just as he remembered, her warmth melted his limbs.

"Evie," he said. "Your speech was terrific. Just as we planned" He lightly unraveled his arms, much to Evie's displeasure. He separated from her, enough to look into her eyes with a smile on his face. "I missed you"

"Me too," Evie said. "I'm really sorry about Friday. And don't say that just because I apologized that it is fine. I feel terrible still."

"I know you do. I forgive you. But they say first fights are always distressing. Don't stress about it. I guarantee you that you'd have to do something completely outrageous for me to stop loving you," he said, taking onto her hand. She gladly squeeze his hand and took his lead as they left the back of the stage.

Still in earshot was an ill-tempered crowd listening to Elsa's speech. Glad to be out of that position, Evie followed Doug to where Alfred was waiting in a vintage car.

She chuckled as the older man with a whie mustache got out and opened her door. "With much pleasure I serve you, Queen Westergaard. Your boyfriend here asked for a ride. I respect your decision. I cannot agree more on your view of Mirage and Hans. I could smell the dishonesty from meters away" he said, the end of his sentence becoming sing-songy.

"Looks like you and Doug have something in common," Evie giggled as she slid into the backseat.

"Ah, yes. Smart man, I'd say," Alfred commented.

Doug sliding into the backseat, Evie looked over to him with a smile, grateful for his presence. "Thanks for coming out."

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything. Last thing before you leave will be to sign the documents of your abdication in two hours. Then we're good to go back home," he said taking out his phone and rapidly typing into the keyboard. Evie leaned over between their seats to find him focused on adding material to his dissertation.

She slipped his phone away and turned it off. "Vacay?"

Reluctantly smiling, he pulled her as close as he could and chuckled. "Vacay."

* * *

From the front of the car, Alfred looked through the rearview mirror and felt a smile curve on his face at the two kids in the back. He was glad they came back together. He knew they would. And he was proud that the fire he noticed that first day was still burning bright in their hearts.


	21. Chapter XVIII: She Wears The Crown

The sun shone brightly through the glass windows in Beast Castle. After everything that happened, to say the least, things felt normal again. Especially that of her relationship with her boyfriend.

Accompanying her to the council meeting in which they would decide for the second time whether Evie should be titled as a Princess, Evie couldn't have asked for a better person to be there. Hand in hand, Evie followed Doug though the wide, wooden doors that led them to the office wing of the castle.

They approached the council room, the open doors providing a clear view of the long table. Snow White was already mingling outside the room with once again Dopey and Prince Florian. As he noticed the couple, Dopey chuckled and bowed as Evie walked past. She giggled at his gesture, believing her boyfriend definitely got some of his dad's silliness.

"Princess Evie," Prince Florian greeted her, Evie's cheeks turning a rosy pink. Flustered by his greeting, she quickly shook her head.

"It has yet to be given to me," she said humbly. Snow White gave her a look, as if to question her statement.

"After how you stood up to the Southern Isles and courageously rose against the hostility, rationally bringing the Isles and Arendelle together again, you're more than capable of being a Princess by law. You're already a Princess in your heart," Snow White said, taking her step-sister's hand, smiling.

Evie's blush grew and she kindly thanked her. Suddenly standing in the room amongst the council members, she felt shy and anxious. Granted, this meeting would change her life, so there was good reasoning behind her nerves.

She followed Dopey, Snow and Prince Florian into the room. They took their seats in the area labeled "Charmington." Doug pulled up two spare chairs and to Evie's relief, took her hand, holding it.

As they sat awaiting Ben and Mal to arrive, Doug conversed with his dad and Aunt. Evie's mind floated elsewhere as she observed the people of the council, the same people who deemed her a villian. An evil, cruel and dangerous villain.

Knowing that they had been proved wrong, she only hoped they would change their minds about the title. Her thoughts remained positive as she listened in on the other's conversation.

That is until a short man with a horribly placed toupée, arrived with two men at his side. He smoothed the false hair and looked around expecting to be greeted. In turn, he was snubbed by the people in the room.

Silently taking his seat, his face reddening out of embarrassment and he made eye contact with Evie. Glancing away in disgust, he dangled his legs from the chair as he was too short to touch the ground.

Only a few more minutes passed before the purple-haired fairy walked in the room, arm in arm with her fiancé. As they mingled with those who grabbed their attention first, they eventually were able to make their way to Evie.

Giving her best friend a hug, Mal excitedly asked her about the abdication of the throne. As though she wanted to attend, the soon to be Queen was getting used to her new duty. That duty also prevented her from seeing her friends like she used to.

With new protocol and security measures, Mal no longer could go places without a security sweep.

"Oh, Evie. I'm glad you didn't take the throne," Mal said, hugging her friend again. "I didn't want you to lose everything you've already worked for. Being Queen isn't what it seems," she whispered to her and they let go.

Mal turned to Doug and gave him a friendly wave, receiving one back. Ben greeting the rest of the Charmington district, receiving the statement of the region's development.

Catching up with each other as friends, the Evie and Mal nearly forgot why they were there. Ben cleared his throat and the two young women turned and Mal quickly said goodbye to Evie before walking to the front podium.

"We will begin if everyone is settled," Ben said looking around to his council, the people drawing their attention to the front.

"As always, the reading."

Fairy Godmother pulled out the scroll, the rest of the people standing. This time around Evie, wasn't as surprised as the first time around. Though the look on Doug's face as he watched the council recite the scroll, almost made her crack up. She stifled a laugh and leaned over his way, whispering what Snow White had told her the last time around.

With a nod of his head in understanding, they took their seats like everyone else.

This time, Mal stood up and took to the podium. "Council members, I would like to draw your attention to our order of meeting today. As you know, this is an impromptu meeting, held in honor of the restoration of my good friend, Evie Queen—"

The Duke of Weselton stood from his seat. "I object. There is misuse of the crown. And she's a _Westergaard_"

"Objection overruled. Duke of Weselton, if you continue to express a clear dislike of another citizen of Auradon as a regional representative, I will have to enlist a council vote to remove you," Ben said as he rose from his chair next to Mal. They glanced at each other for a moment, sharing thoughts before Mal cleared her throat and continued.

"Ms. _Queen_ as she is legally referred to now, would like to ask for your support in adopting a title, presented by her sister, Queen Snow White of Charmington. Ms, White, you please stand?"

Snow stood up and smiled softly at her sister before looking around the room at the other members.

"It is with immense joy that I support the renewal of a title for Ms. Queen. The terrible actions taken place in the Southern Isles made it so that Evie was slandered, shunned and made a fool of. Therefore, I would like to give my younger sister the title that is rightfully owed to her. As my step-sister, she is able to gain the title of Princess of Charmington."

She looked down to where Evie gave her a small smile and directed her attention back to the rest of the council.

"So, with permission granted from King Ben and his fiancée Mal, I would like to extend the right for you all to vote on the matter. I yield my time to Fairy Godmother to carry on with the voting agenda."

Snow White sat down and patted Evie's arm. As Fairy Godmother thanked the Queen of Charmington, she rose from her seat and handed out the ballots.

Silence and uncertainty filled the atmosphere. Evie tried not to look around the room to see how the leaders of the regions were reacting and what they were choosing. She found the eye contact of Aurora, who gave her a warm smile. The former sleeping beauty glanced at the ballot her husband filled out and quickly shook her head at him. Taking the pen in her own hand, she requested a new ballot crumpling the initial one, much to Prince Phillip's dismay.

The clock ticked as the ten minute mark drew closer and closer. Her palms began to sweat, Evie taking hold of Doug's hand who was equally as unsettled as she was.

"And that would be time," Fairy Godmother announced. She collected the slips of paper and placed them in a basket. She went to the podium where she quickly gave both Ben and Mal an head nod. They stepped down and she took the stand.

Counting the votes on her own, Fairy Godmother's face lit up with every vote as she tried to keep the excitement to a minimum. Once she finished counting, unlike the the last meeting, she smiled.

"My dear. I'm so very pleased for Miss Queen," she began. "Your new title will be bestowed upon you in the coming month's time. Congratulations. 3 regions opposed and 16 regions wonderfully sent their support."

Fairy Godmother left the stand as Evie turned to Doug a smile on her face. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, as he did the same. The Duke of Weselton shuffled his papers and grabbed the ends of his coat sash. Standing—more like jumping out of the leather seat, he huffed and left the room before the members were even dismissed. His guards followed him out of the room, one lagging behind.

The guard made his way to the front, placing a letter by Ben and Mal. Each confused, Ben opened it and stifled a laugh. He handed it to Mal who audible rejoiced, but quickly covered her mouth. She set the letter aside and Ben took the stand.

"I assume we are all aware of the member who left without consultation. It seems as though the Duke resigns the council member to represent the sub-region of The Southern Isles within the region of Arendelle. We will resume that matter privately. Hence my dismissal of you all this afternoon. Thank you for your time. Feel free to congratulate with Miss Queen." Ben said stepping off the stand.

Within moments after the dismissal, Evie found herself surrounded by Doug, Mal, Ben, Dopey, Snow and Florian.

The group gravitated outside the room, members who voted in favor, wishing Evie the best with gentle shoulder pats.

As the chatting quieted and both Mal and Ben were called by Fairy Godmother to send a notice to the Southern Isles of the Duke's resignation, Florian, Snow And Dopey followed Evie and Doug out of Beast Castle.

They stood by their cars and coordinated another meeting, since that would likely be the last time for some few months they'd see each other.

"Take care," Dopey said as Florian and Snow waved from ahead of him.

"Thanks, you too," Evie said with a wave. She took Doug's hand, her feet carrying her on clouds.

She was indeed on air.

Though they had driven to Beast Castle, it was mutually decided that they'd roam the gardens, just the two of them.

Since their turbulent visit to the Southern Isles, things had patched up between them smoothly. Walking the path they both knew all too well, they stopped at the fountain that carved as a bouquet of roses. Evie threw a coin, watching it hit the surface with a bounce and sink to the bottom.

"Can you believe it?" she asked him quietly. Doug turned to her and smiled, pulling her close into a hug.

"Yeah, but maybe it's because I refer to you as a Princess even without the legality of it" he said chuckling. Evie's embrace fell limp as she separated from his arms. Doug frowned at her sudden action.

"You saw it all along" Evie said looking away. She resorted to staring at the calm of the water running out of the top of the roses.

Doug cocked his head and shook his head. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that with or without the title, you'll always be _my_ Princess"

"Oh," Evie blushed. She came back into his embrace, giggling to herself. "I guess I am. And you'll always be _my_ prince"

Through Doug's eyes, Evie was everything and even more than he ever imagined. She was a princess, a warrior and a brainiac all in one. She was his everything, as he was hers.

"Well, what do you say, Princess Evie of Charmington? Shall we continue on?" Doug questioned, her head slightly nodding. He gently lifted her off her feet and twirled her around before landing her back on her heels.

Hand in hand, the two strolled along the path of the gardens, the aroma of roses and blossoms filling their nostrils in the company of each other. They knew what mattered and that was all they needed for now. Simply a warm hand and the special someone they love by their side.

* * *

Her crown is not visible, despite the many jewels it possesses. Beyond the golden aura, there is something more. Something that speaks louder than any treasured piece that may be forever lost.

Out of maturity and kindness, determination and confidence, Evie maintained her crown. Yes, she was vulnerable like any being may be, yet she still rose with authenticity in herself. Though she may wear golden crowns of rubies and sapphires, the crown that gives her the strength of royalty, is within her heart.


	22. Epilogue

_{One Year Later}_

* * *

Dear Mr. Westergaard,

I am writing to you to tell you that I have finally come to terms with what you did.

I once trusted you.

I'm not sure what kind of a father would make a fool of himself, exploiting his own flesh and blood. But Mummy said that's always how you were. Ready to give up everything for the things that don't matter. Faking your way through everything. I guess people really don't change. I wanted to believe that after 21 years you really cared. But I should have seen the red flags when my _then boyfriend_ first expressed his doubts. I should have realized that even after I came to Auradon, you made no move to try and get to know me. I was a national hero four times and you didn't have the guts to claim or contact me.

If you really had wanted to get to know me and regretted all you did to Mummy and I, you would have already made a move to reconcile. I had been blind to your deception.

I want you to know that I am disappointed that all of this had to happen. I was in a vulnerable place and you took advantage of that. The plans you made to reconnect with Mummy and I were simply a lie. I do hope you one day realize what you've done. I was willing to rekindle a relationship we never got to have. Now I no longer feel the need to fill the void of my heart that I thought belonged to you. I now understand that I don't need you. I should've listened to everyone around me who was telling me otherwise.

Despite not being fond of you, I have to thank you for three things:

Thank you for showing me that I can't trust everybody who comes into my life when I am at my weakest.

Thank you for steering me away from the Southern Isles, you and my paternal relatives.

Lastly, thank you for allowing me to come into existence. Without you I wouldn't be here and wouldn't be able to experience the joy of actually being loved by my friends if you hadn't once loved my mother.

I would also like to tell you that I have dissolved my relation to you with the changing of my name. As of long while ago, I am legally known as Evie Rose Queen, no longer Genevieve Hana Rose Westergaard. Despite my name change, I was still able to reclaim a royal title, by which I am known as Princess Evie Rose Queen of _Charmington_. I declined my birth title, instead choosing the one offered to me by someone who is not blood-related, but acts the part of being my bonafide sister.

As you know, I declined the throne after coming to my senses.

With all due respect, I wish you well. Find yourself forgiven for exploiting me and leaving my mother, but my forgiveness does not excuse you for your actions. It simply says that I forgive you for your actions, but my preference to not associate with you any longer still stands true.

Out of pure courtesy, I would like to disclose that I am engaged and will be married in the course of a year. If I ever have the privilege of reproducing, your grandchildren will surely know of the offenses their blood related grandfather committed against their mother.

Sincerely,

Your estranged daughter,

Evie Rose Queen

* * *

**Thank you for reading She Wears The Crown. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you for all of the reads, follows, favorites and reviews. Lastly, I got the idea of Hans being Evie's dad from disneyfan1968.**


	23. Extra Scene

Officially with a certificate and symbolized by the ring around her third finger on her left hand, she was married. She believed that a little over two years would have been enough time to erase the adventure—if you could call it that—of the Southern Isles.

Perhaps it was because of the fact that her father hadn't been present at their wedding. He hadn't walked her down the aisle. He hadn't sat alongside her mother and gave her away.

Jay offered to walk her down the aisle as he did for Mal, but something still wouldn't have felt right. Evie wouldn't deny that Jay had become a brother figure to her, but compared to Mal, they didn't have the same bond.

It wasn't that she regretted anything about her wedding day, it was simply the absence of her father that stung her the wrong way. She had sent a letter ages ago in response to his behavior, but never received one back.

That was exactly what replayed in her head as she rested her eyes a little past midnight. The quiet slumber of her spouse calmed her nerves as she let her mind escape.

_Was her father really that great of an actor?_ Evie thought as she was reminded of the conversation they had at Kos Og Mat. Strange, it was, the fact that he didn't care any longer about her.

"Sleep, Evie," the groggy voice next to her spoke. She turned onto her side, lying her head on the pillow.

"My dad. I—I can't believe that he's really happy without his first family. The things he said, the way he acted. It seemed too real," Evie whispered. She placed her hands underneath her pillow and cuddled into the fuzzy blanket over her. "I feel rejected."

"That's a valid feeling. But one day you'll have to let go of this feeling. I'm not saying that tomorrow you'll wake up and forget all about it, but continuously thinking about him isn't worth it. He's causing more pain in you than you are in him," Doug suggested, his voice slightly trailing off.

Evie let out a small sigh, her mind still working. "He's never cared about me, but I can't seem to let him go."

Doug didn't reply, instead flicking on the lamp. As he sat up, Evie sat up against her pillow. She put her hands around her knees, moving the duvet and blanket down to her feet.

He leaned over to the side table and slid his glasses onto his face. Opening his arms, he allowed Evie to lay her head on his chest. She held onto his hands, that secured her in his hold.

"I wish that everything had turned out fine for you," he began before being interrupted by his own yawn. "But, Hans showed that he isn't worth your energy. Yes, he didn't show up, yes he never apologized or responded to your letter, but who showed up? Your mother. Yes, you have your distinct differences, but she still came and expressed happiness for you. Everything turned out just as you planned and I think it outweighs any feeling that Hans could have been the source of."

"He will always be a part of you biologically, there will forever be a hole in your heart where his love was supposed to be, but I'm not sure there's anything you can do to fill it. He'd have to fill the hole by himself."

Evie nodded her head and lightly sniffled, trying to hold back the reality of his words. She didn't miss him, she barely knew him. But she was jealous of the love that was never there. The love that was as present as their relationship had been. The fatherly love that he shared with someone else.

Her step-sister had received the love that Evie missed out on and instead was replaced with the distortion of love that she received from Grimhilde. A woman who just as much as her daughter, had been deprived of being loved for over a decade.

It had made her angry, but that anger dissolved. She was now hurting. No one could ever fill the hole her father had left in her heart as it could only be filled with a special kind of love.

As Doug suggested, the only way out of her thoughts was to accept the fact that her father would never be who she wanted him to be. She'd come so far as to live without him, that going forward he was just as irrelevant.

"I understand, it's just a little difficult," Evie said quietly, her tears pushing against her eyes. As one fell, another one followed. "It doesn't make any sense"

"It doesn't have to," Doug replied, letting her use his shirt sleeve as a tissue to wipe her face. "It really doesn't."

He gently rocked Evie to calm her nerves, and it wasn't long before her quiet cries became silent and she fell asleep. Slipping off his glasses and turning off the lamp, he allowed Evie to lay in his embrace.

Out of sight and out of mind would have to do for Evie, but it's much easier said than done. Taking charge of her dreams, Evie was stuck in a mess of emotions.

Within her letter, she wished Hans well and she made sure to express her displeasure with everything that happened. How was it that after all this time, she still was searching for him to add to the hole he left when he abandoned her? She believed he had to have felt something toward her. He had to have felt some degree of shame. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe he was just as much of a jerk as he had been years and years ago.

It was a mystery as to how he could knowingly have a descendant, but choose to erase her from his life. Perhaps he did think of her and felt a hint of regret about his actions, but was afraid to let her know. But she would never get to know as long as they were still estranged.

She felt guilty for holding onto these feelings that should have dissolved along with the entire fiasco nearly two years ago. Those feelings of guilt were because this wasn't her fight. Metaphorically, Evie was fighting against a brick wall with nothing but a rock. There was no use. She was trying to break down a wall built between her and her father, without his help.

It was his actions that ended up causing her to feel crushed inside. But it was her jealousy and the "could have beens" that had failed her. She had failed to cope with the estrangement of her father, much like she had failed to cope with the treatment from her mother.

Self-pity wasn't going to get her very far in the healing process, but she herself had to decide her next move. She was to release her emotions at once and let those who had hurt her—go.


End file.
